


To Heaven and Back

by kittyofnight



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Bringing Tony Back, End Game Fix-It, Family, Irondad, Kid Fic, M/M, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-06-29 02:16:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19820470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittyofnight/pseuds/kittyofnight
Summary: With determination and help, Peter brought Tony back, and it only took six years...Post End-Game, canon-compliant, but not with Far From Home.





	1. Back

**Author's Note:**

> Please no Far From Home spoilers in comments. I honestly have not felt ready to dive back into the MCU post un-snap after End Game. I will soon, and I live here happily for now.
> 
> I have written all of this, so uploading will be pretty timely.

*****Peter*****

He was stabilizing. It was going to work. It was actually going to work. Bruce injected shot after shot directly into Tony’s neck, as Peter pulled pieces of the suit off of him that were still smouldering. There was some strong numbing and healing agents injected into Tony, but he still needed to get Tony out of there.

Bruce took two steps back when the last shot was done, Peter moving back into position with scanning equipment. Peter already knew his heartbeat was stable. He could hear it.

“You look older,” were Tony’s first words. Looking right at him.

“I- yeah. Hey. What can I say? Damn, I really can’t think of anything I had planned to say. You- you- well, you brought me and half the universe back, and saved like- everyone. We- wanted to return the favor. Mostly Stephen, Bruce, and me. It’s just _really_ good to see you, Tony. Or Mr. Stark, if you prefer,” Peter said.

“How long?” Tony asked, looking around. The rebuilt compound was in sight.

“Well… six years- sorry. But you’re going to be okay. And now I- we’ve really got to call Morgan. She- I tried to keep her away from all of this- in case- but she’s too much of a genius,” Peter said with no small pride.

“Morgan,” Tony repeated.

“Yeah, Tony. She’s _wonderful_. And so much like you,” Peter said.

“She’s- ten?” Tony asked, faintly.

“Yeah, and I’m so sorry you weren’t there for those years. But- she’s still your little girl. As much as she wants to grow up right now and revolutionize physics and medicine and magic. She wants you to be with her so much, more than anything. Is it okay if I call her now?”

“Please,” Tony said.

“On speaker,” he said. “Karen, call Morgan.”

“Peter- is he?” Morgan’s voice. She’d been crying.

“Yeah, sweetie, he’s right here,” Peter said, tears appearing finally in his eyes too. “Tell Happy too.”

“Morgan?” Tony wrasped.

“Daddy!” Morgan cried, loudly, and the speaker was on Peter’s neck near his ear in his suit without the mask. He didn’t mind in the least.

“Where are you, squirt? I’m coming to see you,” Tony said, looking at Peter.

“We’re at Peter’s place,” Morgan sniffed. “I love you, Daddy. I love you 3000,” she sniffed. Her voice was older than Tony would be used to, but she was still her daddy’s little girl.

“Love you 3000,” Tony said back.

“We’re coming, Morgan. You want to stay on the line?” Peter asked.

“I want to stay,” she said. 

“I’ll patch you through to your dad’s suit too,” Tony said to the girl, and then to Tony, “Got a fresh suit for you, Tony,” Peter said, holding out a suit activator. “It’s got some vibranium upgrades. King T’Challa’s thanks. He thought I was crazy for this, but wished me the best anyway. The suit will fly you there, don’t even try to control it unless something well- bad happens, alright? You just relax and rest.”

“Congratulations,” Stephen said, shaking Peter’s hands, then Tony’s. Tony shook it without looking, now standing in his new suit, moving around, investigating. Still Tony Stark.

Bruce hugged Peter tightly- human tightly. “Tony, I- I- hardly believe it,” Bruce said. He was human Bruce right now for the fine motor skills, but the Green Guy was out plenty. He’d had his full arm usage back, regained in the tests preparing to save Tony.

“And you look younger,” Tony said, frowning at Bruce.

“You will too, we think,” Bruce added. “You’ll be exhausted for a while.” The other scientist’s hair was short and entirely dark brown, almost black. He’d cut off the grey months ago now. Peter couldn’t place an age for him- young but not that young, years younger looking than he had been before.

“We didn’t discover the fountain of youth or anything. We couldn’t isolate it to have any effect on Stephen or Rhodey- our volunteers,” Peter said. “I was kind of glad, that would have been too much… to hold.”

“Thank you, all,” Tony murmured.

“It was all Peter really,” Bruce deflected. “You’ve got a little girl who’s probably giving Happy a hell of a time keeping inside right now.”

“Thank you, Uncle Bruce, Dr. Strange,” Morgan chimed in.

“We’re okay,” Happy’s voice came from farther away.

“Your mask?” Tony asked when they were ready to go.

“Oh I- don’t wear it on fun trips anymore.”

“Oh? No more secret identity for you then. Interesting.”

“Yeah, I’ve been ‘out’ for a while. You ready?” He just realized they could ask Stephen for a portal, but this would only take a few minutes longer, to get from the half-reconstructed old compound to the city. Some Avengers still used it for some things. And they’d rebought the Tower for a closer to the people headquarters. He was selfish to want that trip back with Tony. And Morgan was still on the line.

Peter activated the- sort of jet pack that he’d found in Tony’s notes for his suit, and Peter and Harley had built together. Tony had nodded approvingly at it. As soon as they hit the city buildings, Peter switched to web shooting and swinging, which would always be his preferred method of travel. It was incredible swinging through the city as Spider-Man, Iron Man following him. Morgan was crying, and Tony was telling her it was all okay. Karen told him that Tony was still fine, stable. In better condition now than before his snap. And the man had been standing and fighting then. Though the suit did help with that, and there was no more heat of battle.

Peter landed on his balcony just a few minutes later, Tony just behind him.

“Daddy!” Morgan screamed,” wrapping Tony in a hug when he was only half-inside, jumping into his mechanical arms.

“Let’s let him sit on the couch, he’s had a big day, Morgan. He’s going to need rest.”

“Peter, join the hug. No more suit, Daddy,” Morgan instructed. She was acting a little younger than usual, Peter thought. But she more than deserved to act however was natural.

Peter put an arm under Tony’s supporting his shoulder in case he needed it, and put Morgan’s weight to his own hip instead of Tony’s arms. He was reminded again of how much Tony still needed. His right shoulder and arm were completely bare- Peter had town away what fabric had been left- and the arm looked totally healthy now, but still pretty dirty. He needed to wash, and have clean clothes, and eat, and sleep, and be with his daughter. And that last one was more important at the moment. Peter wondered what food was in the refrigerator. He should have had dinner waiting.

“He’s not going anywhere, Morgan. I promise. Clean bill of health except needing lots of rest, and no work or alcohol, or coffee. Let’s sit down,” He said gently, directing them all to the couch. “Thanks for staying with Morgan, Happy,” Peter said.

“Anything I could do to help,” Happy answered.

Tony sat heavily, and Peter sat right beside him, leaning Morgan against her father’s chest.

“You’re not going anywhere either, are you, Peter?” Morgan asked, holding his hand tightly, worried.

“Not if I can help it, Squirt, I love you way too much,” Peter answered easily.

“You love me to heaven and back?” Morgan checked.

“To heaven and back,” Peter promised. It was their thing. Peter hadn’t meant to make it a thing, like Morgan had had with her dad, but it had been their thing for years at this point.

“To heaven and back,” Morgan repeated.

Death was a pretty impermanent thing in Morgan’s life. Which wasn’t a normal or probably healthy thing, but damn it, he’d done it. He’d really _done it._ And- whenever he dwelt on why he was trying so hard to get Tony back- when so many other people died every day. When he’d lost his parents and his uncle but- but Tony had- Peter was pretty good at pushing those thoughts aside. What it really boiled down to was that Stephen Strange had agreed to help him with Tony. And only with Tony. He could get him back in front of Peter, exactly how he was moments before he died, if Peter could make sure that he didn’t die again.

Magic and science working together.

“Peter says he wasn’t really in heaven when he died, and it was over in an instant, and that if it worked, you wouldn’t have all the way died. He doesn’t know if heaven’s real, but he hopes so. And I understand that most people don’t really come back to life when they die. We just mean really, really far away,” Morgan explained. “Because Titan, and- and- Vormir, and everywhere in the whole universe isn’t far enough away,” Morgan explained. “I think it sounds better than 3000, but I don’t _mean_ it to mean any more than that. I just didn’t know how to articulate ‘big feelings’ when I was four.” She was still talking more like she did when she was seven or eight, but that seemed right enough. She was a very smart kid.

“I’m so glad that you have Peter in your life, baby, because you deserve the _best_ ,” Tony said sweetly. Peter had never gotten to actually _see_ Tony as a father before. It was really great.

“Why don’t I go get some burgers?” Happy offered, not bothering to wipe the tears from his eyes. It wasn’t every day that an old friend came back from the dead. Pretty much only the two days now.

“Thanks, Happy,” Tony said, holding out a hand to his old friend. Happy took it in both of his.

“So… can Morgan stay for the bad news, or is it really bad?” Tony asked when the door shut again..

“What bad news?” Morgan asked. There was six years of information Tony didn’t have, but Peter was pretty sure where Tony would want to start.

“Morgan, honey, where’s your mother?” Tony asked.

Little- not that little- Morgan wrapped her arms tighter around her father.

“She married someone else- his name’s Roland- and they had twins. They’re a year old. He’s okay, and they’re good, just babies, but I do love the babies and stuff, and he’s nice, but I don’t love him, because he’s not _you_. Or Peter, or Happy,” Morgan listed the- well essentially the father figures in her life. “Or, Rhodey’s okay too, and Clint. Oh, you need to meet Nat. I’m going to marry him one day,” Morgan declared, referring to Clint’s younger son.

“Who’s this Nat?” Tony asked, zeroing in on that after all of that overwhelming information, especially that his wife was now married to someone else.

“Clint’s youngest. Nathaniel Pietro Barton. He’s nine. Good kid,” Peter said, hoping it would help.

“Peter already told me I couldn’t marry _Harley_ ,” Morgan pouted. She pouted adorably.

“Harley?” Tony asked, looking between them.

“Yeah, Harley Keener. He works in the lab,” Peter said briefly.

“I can’t marry _him_ even when I’m all grown up because he only likes men. He and Peter went on a few dates, but they’re better as friends,” Morgan laid out. “Peter’s single,” Morgan rattled off. Tony gave curious looks between Morgan and Peter at that too. He was actually smiling. And it didn’t look fake. But he probably hadn’t really processed the part with Pepper yet.

“Maybe not the most relevant information right now, short stack. Maybe you want to tell your dad about your favorite classes at school?” Peter offered. Innocuous.

“They’re so _boring_ , but Mom won’t let me skip more than the one year I already skipped, at least not till high school. I like art class best because it’s not boring, but it’s only once a week. And PE’s good, but not as good as shooting arrows with Clint. Sometimes Harley or Peter let me work in the labs with them, and that’s the _best_ ,” Morgan recounted. “Oh, or Ned, I like Ned too. And, I’m taking an online college class in computer programming. It’s easy, and I already know everything in it, but I’m getting real college credit, and if I keep doing that, I can graduate from NYU when I graduate high school when I’m sixteen, and then go to MIT for grad school- or Columbia if I want to stay in New York City, or maybe I could study magic with Dr. Strange. He won’t even let me take the assessment tests until I’ve graduated college, so I don’t know if I even have the aptitude for it or not,” Morgan explained. “Or maybe I’ll be a surgeon like Dr. Strange _used_ to be, so I can fix Peter when he gets hurt. And you too if you haven’t retired by then,” Morgan detailed.

“I’ve tried to get her to enjoy being a kid,” Peter said apologetically. She was in sixth grade now, with students a year older than she was. But, she’d been in their year since second grade, and fit in well socially. Peter suspected that one of the reasons Pepper selected the school she did was that it considered sixth grade to still be elementary school instead of middle school, the middle schoolers being confined in another building on the same campus.

“Squirt, I just want you and Peter to tell me anything you want to tell me,” Tony coaxed. His hand was gripped on Peter’s knee.

Morgan kept talking about everything that came to her mind. Disney movies they needed to watch together, and the recent trilogy in the Star Wars universe. About Nat and Cooper and Lila and Cassie. She’d earned the opportunity to talk as much as she wanted. Peter was entirely content to sit, arms around both of them, the most important people in his life- well, along with May. He’d texted May and Rhodey, and FRIDAY, but asked them to keep it quiet until he or Tony said so.

“Sometimes I’ve called Peter ‘Dad,’ and then usually we’d both cry, but it was good crying,” Morgan blurted in the middle of nothing. Her previous sentence had been about getting to use the pottery wheel in art class. Probably her mind had connected to the bowl she’d made for Peter, but still.

“I’m glad, baby. Sorry you cried, but glad for everything else. As far as I’m concerned, you can call anyone anything you want,” Tony replied, hugging Morgan tightly, and then his hand fell back on Peter’s knee.

And then Morgan talked about glazing pottery, and how the glazes would sometimes look totally different after being fired in the kiln, and how that was sort of poetic, and how maybe she would be an artist- a potter, or an actress, or a writer, but probably not a poet. And really being an engineer had a lot of being an artist, and she got to pick the colors and some of the designs for her suit- which Tony had lots of questions about. It was pink and purple, and didn’t have any cool weapons, she informed him. And, would only fly her to a few locations, and she didn’t get to control it herself, which she thought was vastly unfair. And she’d never even had to use it, and had only gotten to try it at all in the gym at the Tower, and that was almost a year ago, and didn’t she need a new one that could do more stuff now?

When Happy came back with lots of burgers, Morgan just kept talking.

“Pepper had twins _last year_ ?” Tony asked after finishing his second hamburger and Morgan had run off to take a shower and get ready for bed even though she didn’t have to go to sleep yet- as per their negotiations. “We aren’t that young anymore,” he said. Technically Pepper was a few years older than Tony now- and Tony was probably sort of _becoming_ biologically younger than he had been years ago. Peter thought there were already fewer lines on his face. Nothing drastic, but maybe he would probably soon look younger than when he had started being Iron Man in the first place.

“The twins are sixteen months now,” Peter relayed, distracted. “And- Stark Industries has made some great strides in fertility treatments and in vitro fertilization. Less difficult on the body, much higher success rates, which keeps costs down too. Two embryos made, two implanted, healthy twins born thirty eight weeks later. There was a lot of demand for it after the snap was reversed.” A lot of marriages reunited, and a lot of new marriages in the years afterwards that wanted to have children together. Like Pepper and Roland.

Tony nodded.

“We really need to get you cleaned up a lot more than Morgan. Er- can I help you?” Peter asked. That was not a thing to ask a grown man but… “Two bedroom, two bath setup,” Peter said. “Morgan- stays over a lot, so she has a room,” Peter was practically rambling at this point. He didn’t ramble anymore. Happy could definitely help Tony get clean if Tony preferred, or probably Tony could manage on his own if he was determined to. But honestly if Peter wasn’t actually seeing Tony, he wasn’t sure he could believe it was all real. To Tony, he was just in a giant battle, and Peter remembered that feeling.

“Is there a tub?” Tony asked. “I don’t know if I can stand long enough.”

“Yeah,” Peter said, going to support Tony under the shoulder again. So he would accept help.

“You okay here tonight, boss?” Happy asked.

“If Peter doesn’t mind,” Tony said, looking at him. Which was maybe from six inches from his face now.

“Of course, I want to have you here,” Peter answered.

“I’ll see you tomorrow. Anytime you need me, day or night,” Happy promised. And Peter knew Happy meant it. Peter needed to have Tony be with the other people important to him too- the ones who mattered. And weird or not, Pepper had to still be near the top of that list.

Tony used the toilet first, which he promised he could manage on his own before calling Peter to come in. He was leaning over the still running sink. Pants around his ankles, but boxer briefs up.

Peter started the water- “Cool, warm, hotter?” he asked.

“Hot but not too hot,” Tony answered.

And then Peter helped him get undressed, ripping away the remainder of shirt and helping him out of the rest. Not looking at the middle third of his body.

“Okay if I stay?” Peter asked.

“It would be rather pathetic if I fell asleep and drowned in a bathtub after all of your work,” Tony said, and leaned his head back on the tile. “You go ahead. I’m conserving my energy,” he said, and made no motion to move, so Peter washed him, his face, arms, mostly everything that wasn’t soaking in the water already. A few times over his chest. He looked healthier than Tony usually did- though that was trusting teenage remembering. Probably family life suited him. 

“A lot of people who had been married- mourned their loved one and got remarried in those five years,” Tony said. “Millions of people. And I was happy for them. And I knew when we were bringing them back that it would throw so many families in turmoil again. Some people wanted to entirely undo the last five years, but I wouldn’t even hear of it. Because I had Morgan. So I can’t really judge Pepper now if I didn’t judge them, can I? I seemed- even less likely to come back, because who would try as hard to save one- admittedly _brilliant_ but deeply flawed man, compared to four billion humans, and half of the rest of the universe? Only you, Peter,” he whispered. “You. You’re such a better man than I could ever be,” he said. Peter shook his head, but let Tony keep talking. “I- _tried_ at first, but I gave up. I couldn’t do it until _Scott Lang_ showed up with all his enthusiasm and technology that he didn’t understand in the least. But I didn’t stop missing you,” He said, reaching out and placing a wet hand on Peter’s hair. Peter didn’t mind.

“I know you didn’t. Because when I met Morgan, she already knew all about me. Scott would be a good person to talk to, really. He and his family are doing great after- a similar situation,” Peter said. Except Scott was already divorced for some time before he disappeared for five years. “You can think and feel whatever you want about Pepper. Call her when you’re ready, or I will. I- don’t want her hearing from someone else. I texted May and Rhodey and FRIDAY, but they wouldn’t spread it.”

“I flew across the city,” Tony pointed out.

“A random observer would probably think it was Harley- he- goes out in a suit sometimes when I need a little back-up - he refused to have a superhero name- and he changes colors a lot, though never red and gold together.”

Tony nodded. “You should call her, but I can talk to her- a bit.”

“Ready to get out?” Peter asked.

“I still need to hear about everything that’s happened to you in the last six years, Pete. I want to know everything.”

“We’ve got a world of time,” Peter promised, helping Tony stand, still not looking anywhere below mid-chest, and helping him into a robe, and toweling off his legs and feet when he seemed to be standing steadily.

“I still have trouble believing you’re alive, Peter. You were- in high school, and then I- I just lived five years without you, now you’re- what month is it?” he asked.

“September sixth. I’m twenty-two- more or less,” Peter answered.

“Are you having a good life?” Tony asked, full of concern. “I wouldn’t- wouldn’t want you to mess up your life over me.”

Peter hugged Tony, really hugged, not just enough to keep the man standing. “I have a really great life, Tony. Really great. But I am so happy for you to be part of it now,” he said.

Tony nodded. “I still want to hear everything. But you can- call Pepper if you think it would be a good time,” Tony sighed.

Peter nodded, “Couch?” he asked. He still needed real clothes, but that wouldn’t be difficult.

Tony shook his head and sat down heavily on the closed toilet lid.

“Hey, Pepper,” Peter greeted uncomfortably a few seconds later on his Stark phone, model in testing, not that there was too much to test. Trying not to cry again. And losing the battle.

“Is- Morgan okay?” came Pepper’s nervous reply.

“Yeah, Morgan’s great. Pepper… Pepper, my crazy plan worked. I- we- brought Tony back,” he whispered.

“Peter…” Pepper was crying. “Alive? Awake?” she clarified. “Really him?”

“Yeah, everything worked,” he said. “Ready?” he whispered to Tony.

Tony nodded and held out his hand.

“Morgan’s wonderful. You’re doing a great job, Pep,” were Tony’s first words to his widowed wife. It was the term after the unsnap, and it fit well enough. The legal system hadn’t- didn’t have any way to deal with it, taxes and everything were a mess, insurance, everyone trying to get by in systems not made for anything like this. Helping people when they could. Peter thought the world- the universe- tried to be nicer because of it.

Peter heard the crying.

“Tony,” she sobbed.

“I’m okay, Pep. And you did just what I’d have wanted. Are you still my CEO?” he asked.

“Of course,” Pepper replied. Peter never had trouble listening to both sides of a phone conversation with his hearing. He knew Pepper and Tony had been distant from the company after the snap, but she had been much more active again after the unsnap and Tony’s death.

“I want to see you, when you can,” Tony said. “I want to meet- these important people in your life. He better be better for you than I was,” Tony said, and Peter could see the difficulty in saying the words.

“Oh, Tony,” Pepper cried.

“It’s alright, Pepper,” Tony said, nodding. He did look... almost close to something that resembled allrightness. “I just want to see Morgan as much as I can,” he whispered.

“Of course, Tony,” Pepper cried. “She- missed you every day.”

“I wish she hadn’t,” Tony sighed.

“I wish I’d believed,” she said.

“I’m glad you didn’t stop living your life,” Tony said. “Here’s Peter. I’m- real tired Pep,” Tony confessed. “But I’m going to be just fine.”

Peter accepted the phone and wiped his eyes.

“Don’t let him drink,” Pepper instructed, as if Peter needed telling. He didn’t keep any alcohol in the house anyway. It tasted awful and didn’t work well with his system- one drink meant about a minute of being really, really drunk, a couple minutes of headache, and then nothing. Not enjoyable.

“I know,” Peter answered.

“Morgan can stay as long as- as long as they are okay, and miss a day or two of school if she needs and- can I come by tomorrow? Oh, and we’ll need to schedule a press conference,” she added.

“Yeah, Pepper, we’ll see you tomorrow. Text details. Bye,” Peter said, and hung up because he had to at some point.

“Let’s get you some clothes,” he suggested. It was the next thing on his mental list. Then checking on Morgan again, followed by sleep. He helped Tony sit on his bed before he went rummaging in drawers. “There’s a lot of your stuff in a storage unit downstairs. I could run down there and pick something...” he said, apologetically holding a pair of dark boxers that were a bit loose on his own waist.

“It’s fine,” Tony said, reaching out and accepting the borrowed pair.

Peter lost himself in looking for a particular shirt, and kept his back to Tony as he heard lots of fabric noises, and a few heavier breaths, but he seemed fine.

Peter tossed Tony a Black Sabbath t-shirt.

“Was this mine?” Tony asked, hands roaming over the soft cloth.

“It _is_ yours,” Peter answered. “I might have borrowed it for a couple years- and a bunch of other things. Yeah, that’s probably weird- sorry. We’re about the same size now, and you have cool clothes- and I was sentimental. Though most people don’t have seven of the exact same band t-shirt.”

“I bought twelve at a concert- all they had left in my size. I wasn’t particularly considerate, and I’m rough on clothes,” Tony shrugged. Peter helped him into the shirt, and put sweatpants next to him. Avengers workout clothes that had a pretty adjustable waistband.

“Um- also yours,” Peter says, hoping that is comforting and not just creepy that Peter’s been wearing his clothes.

“Peter, your waist has got to be six inches smaller than mine,” Tony actually sounded scolding. It was probably an exaggeration too.

“I don’t think so? And anyway, my thighs aren’t, and they have a drawstring. I do _not_ need tailored sweatpants,” Peter bantered back.

“I can’t think of anyone who would need them more,” Tony objected.

“ _No one_ needs tailored sweatpants,” Peter rolled his eyes, knowing full well that those were probably made to fit Tony exactly. “And I mostly sleep in those anyway,” Peter said- which didn’t sound any less creepy. 

He grabbed a pair for himself in a darker shade, and a t-shirt that Ned had given him, and quickly changed, leaving his boxers on. He would need to actually buy more of his own clothes after he inevitably dug out everything that was Tony’s.

“Let’s go find Morgan,” Peter said, “Yeah?” Tony nodded, and Peter helped him up.

“You’ll have ones that actually fit you by the end of the week,” Tony promised. Peter didn’t want to say that he would prefer to sleep in Tony’s. 

“Morgan?” Peter called when they left the room.

Morgan bounded out of her room happily, long dark hair wet and combed, radiant smile. She looked so much like her father.

“I know it doesn’t take you that long to get ready for bed,” Peter said. “I expected you to burst into the bathroom ages ago. You weren’t hacking any secret databases were you?” he teased her.

“I just wanted to give you and daddy some privacy. I know I’ve talked a lot,” Morgan said happily.

“You get to talk as much as you want, squirt. You and your daddy should sleep in the big bed tonight, and I’ll take your room, yeah?” Peter said. “It’s a- king bed because I can’t keep Morgan from joining me most of the time anyway,” Peter shrugged to explain to Tony. It sounded like he was trying to replace Tony... or that he was a peodophile, but Tony wouldn’t think that.

“ _No_ , all of us in your room,” Morgan declared. “Please,” she added. “And Daddy in the middle,” she added.

“Whatever you want, baby,” Tony said, “If that’s okay with Peter,” Tony added. Morgan was so much like her father. Well, it wasn’t like Peter really wanted to spend any more time than necessary away from these two people.


	2. Acclimation

Peter woke up wrapped in strong arms, spider senses entirely at ease.

 _Tony_.

Peter opened his eyes and looked around with minimal movement. Tony was breathing evenly in his neck. Asleep.

Morgan was standing by Peter’s side of the bed, grinning broadly. Bouncing up and down slightly when Peter looked at her. She held her finger to her lips and bounded out of the room.

Tony stirred behind him, hugging him tighter.

“Pete?” he mumbled. “Sorry,” he said, backing away. “What- time is it?” he asked. So he understood where he was and what was happening.

“Eight,” Peter said. “So you got like eleven hours of sleep. Morgan is _never_ that accommodating. I should go make breakfast before she decides to,” He added. “How are you feeling today?” Peter asked.

“Good,” Tony replied. “I- suppose getting at least twice amount of sleep I usually would can do that to a person. I couldn’t possibly make a habit of it.” Peter could hardly see the crow’s feet that had been so prominent around Tony’s eyes. Peter thought he would miss them.

“Yeah, well, maybe we’ll try for at least seven.”

Peter made protein shakes- which tasted quite good but Morgan wrinkled her nose at the idea of- and he also made pancakes, and put out a variety of fruit. Tony had a shake.

The three of them looked through Peter’s storage unit, which was entirely filled mostly with Tony’s personal belongings. Too many clothes for one person to have. Tony selected some of that that he wanted, and a few other things. So much of his life was recorded on upgradable electronics. Peter got a text from Pepper that she had got Tony’s cell phone number activated again, and Peter did have an extra Stark phone of the newest addition that just happened to be lying around- that he had grabbed the week before to have on hand.

“Sorry I could have gotten this ready beforehand I just- couldn’t have faced undoing it if it didn’t work.”

“If it might have delayed you bringing me back even an hour, I wouldn’t have wanted it,” Tony said, looking at the phone. It was familiar tech, nothing Tony Stark would ever have a problem with- nothing that anyone who had ever had any edition of a Stark phone would have a problem with.

“I- added you to a group chat that you’ll probably want to mute. They won’t know you’re there until you say anything whenever you’re ready,” Peter said. 

Tony nodded and stared at the phone. “No, I want- need to say something. I just don’t know what. Some of the people that are probably in here I barely know at all. Others have seen me through everything. Maybe I’ll- text Rhodey,” he says, looking up at Peter, like for confirmation.

“That sounds great. Maybe you two can hang out this evening,” Peter suggests. He doesn’t want Tony Stark to feel dependent on Peter’s company, even if the selfish part of Peter wants to never let the man out of his sight.

“Yeah, that sounds nice,” Tony said. “Pepper’s coming today?” Tony checks, even though he knows.

After the storage unit, Morgan declared that they absolutely _had_ to watch Frozen 2. The first one had been Morgan’s favorite movie as a little girl, and the sequel was quite good as well, Peter would admit.

“I promise I won’t make you watch it hundreds of times,” Morgan promised.

“Baby, I will watch anything with you as often as you want,” Tony promised. And it was nice to just relax and not think for a while. At Morgan’s instruction, Tony and Peter were right next to each other on the couch, with Morgan sitting, or laying, or draped over both of them as she fidgeted.

The movie was recently over and Morgan was catching Tony up on the names and sometimes a brief synopsis of every other movie that had been important to her that came out in the last six years, or would be coming to theaters soon when Pepper arrived. She knocked, like she always did, even though she had a key.

“Hey, Mommy!” Morgan greeted, scrambling up to hug her mother.

“Love you, Morgan,” she said. “You’ve been a good girl for Peter and- Daddy?” she asked and her voice broke on the last.

“Yes, Mommy,” Morgan replied.

Peter tried to see Pepper from eyes who hadn’t seen her in six years. Heavier after the twins. She wore glasses. Her vibrant hair was going grey, and she wasn’t dying it anymore. Still beautiful.

“Pepper,” Tony whispered. And then Pepper was crying into his shoulder.

“I’m sorry I didn’t believe,” she said. “Sorry for everything,” she said.

“Hey, now. You have three wonderful kids. If life were different, you wouldn’t have- some or all of them. I couldn’t tolerate you to regret anything that brought about- Ashton or Alana, because I’m sure you love them just as much as Morgan.”

“I don’t- regret them or Roland- but- You were my husband and I married someone else,” Pepper said into Tony’s neck. They’d gotten like that quickly.

“I was dead,” Tony said quietly, rubbing her back.

“I knew Peter was trying to bring you back,” Pepper pointed out.

“It was a crazy plan. No one could expect you to believe that. I was dead,” Tony said again. “You shouldn’t have waited for a dead man. You did exactly right, Pep.”

“I- feel disloyal to you both,” Pepper said.

“Just worry about being loyal to your kids and Roland, Pep. He knows I’m back and that you’re here?” Tony checked.

“Of course,” she answered.

“Good. I’d like to meet him in the- next few days. Make sure he’s good enough for you and Morgan.”

“He’s a good man,” Pepper answered.

“I’m inclined to think so too,” Tony agreed.

“But you’ll always be Morgan’s father,” Pepper said.

“And I’m very grateful for that,” Tony answered. “Now, I’m being caught up on childrens’ movies of the twenties. Any stinkers that I need to avoid?” he pressed. Tony letting it lighten up.

“Plenty of things for the under three crowd, but the older kid movies have been pretty good. An uptick of- superhero movies, though none have been allowed to be biopic. I can’t watch them anyway, but Morgan has. Studios have been doing a lot of sequels and reboots. Still mostly pretty good.

“I’m really glad to be here, Pepper,” Tony said, squeezing her and letting her go. He took a step back. “Stark Industries updates that I need?” he asked.

Pepper looked at Peter, as if for permission to talk about work.

“Business is booming, Tony. Thanks, in no small part, to the brand loyalty you won us by literally saving all of the universe.”

“But the tech’s still good enough to sell itself?” Tony checked.

“Much of it is still based on your scribblings. Peter is quite good at interpreting and extrapolating. People we’ve hired have made further contributions, but you’re still very much essential to Stark Industries,” Pepper promised.

“I’ll get back in a lab as soon as my nursemaid says I’m allowed,” Tony smiled at Peter.

“If you’re listening to him, then that’s more than-” she choked. “I’m not ready to make that joke. You’re taking care- eating, sleeping, moving?”

“Yeah. I- texted Rhodey, going to see the old man tonight,” Tony said. “I want to see him. I- think I’m going to text this- Avengers group chat soon,” he added. “And we might get seen walking around tonight. Don’t want to interfere with your press conference plans but…”

“You should see as much of the world as you want to today. Any rumors that sprout up can be answered at- ten a.m. tomorrow?” she checked.

“I promise not to show up drunk,” Tony joked.

“That was the worst press conference imaginable, but it got me my job,” Pepper recalled.

“It got you your first Stark Industries job. How well you did it got you the others,” he said.

“Thanks Tony. Have you been okay, Morgan?” Pepper asked, turning full attention to her daughter.

“Of course, Mommy. Way better than okay,” Morgan answered.

“If Daddy’s going to be busy at work tomorrow, maybe you’ll go to school?”

“Yeah, I can do that,” Morgan shrugged.

“You can wait longer if you need to. It will be a very weird day. I’ll tell your teacher what to expect.”

“Yeah, it’s fine, I’ll go,” Morgan said. 

"And maybe you’ll come back to the house afterwards and see your brother and sister, and Daddy and Peter can pick you up after?” Pepper outlined.

“Yeah, sounds good. And I don’t have to go to school the next day if I don’t want to?” she checked.

“You have a few more optional days to spend at your discretion,” Pepper agreed.

“Okay, Mommy. I promise I won’t fall behind. School is _easy_ ,” she said.

“I know, baby. Tony? I’ll see you at nine forty five tomorrow?” she checked.

“Yeah, sounds good,” Tony agreed.

Pepper hugged him again and pressed a brief kiss to his cheek.

“Ready for lunch, squirt?” Tony asked.

“Yes, Daddy,” Morgan answered.

“Let’s see what Peter has in the fridge before we order out again,” he said.

Peter felt the key Pepper placed in his hand before giving him a hug.

“I know he’ll need it more than I do, and I know you’ll take care of him. Make sure to also take care of yourself. Call me whenever you need,” she told him.

“I’ll get you another key soon,” Peter promised.

“I would take it just in case, but don’t need it as long as Tony has one. Though, I suppose after he puts back on that suit for real, I’ll want one again,” Pepper admitted.

“I’ll make him as safe as I can,” Peter promised.

“He looks really good,” Pepper said. “Like Bruce?” she asked.

“He does,” Peter said.

“Is he going to be okay the first time someone says he’s lucky?” Pepper asked.

“Yeah, I think he will be,” Peter answered.

Peter got the text like everyone else, after they’d had a lunch of sandwiches on hoagie rolls- flattened in Peter and Morgan’s case. It wasn’t Delmar’s, but it was good.

_Peter’s a mad scientist with help from the green guy and the wizard._

**Photographic proof needed,** came the first reply, from Clint. Peter had thought he was more in tune with the Avengers than he pretended. Peter wondered how difficult it would be to fool Clint with a doctored photograph. He wasn’t the most tech-savvy one of them by any means, but he could follow a surprising amount, and he had that super-spy mercenary-vigilante thing.

Stephen and I can confirm that it’s true. From Bruce.

Peter watched Tony across the room. “You want in this?” Tony asked, holding up the camera in selfie mode.

“Sure,” Peter agreed.

He watched the picture appear on his own screen. Tony’s face in the bottom right, Peter waving from the back left.

_Tony, I’m sorry_ was the next reply. Peter wasn’t sure would be in Tony’s phone.

“That’s Wanda. She never talks on here,” Peter supplied. Tony just nodded.

_I’m doing better than I would have expected. Thanks,_ came Tony’s next message.

_Though I have to meet this boy my daughter tells me she’s going to marry._

**I was just glad when she got over me. ~Harley**

_I don’t know, there’s some definitely appeal as a father of your little girl having a crush on a nice, trustworthy gay man._

**_This is Lila Barton (Golden Archer), Mr. Stark. We love Morgan so much, and Nat is a good kid, I promise._ **

_Not hidden in the middle of nowhere anymore, then._

**_Dad wouldn’t try to stop me after I turned eighteen. And he’s the one that made me as good of a shot as him. I’m at NYU now to make him and my mom happy in case I want a backup plan. The rest of the family live… at your old country house._ **

**Which is yours again the minute you say it** Clint added.

_No, it’s perfect._

Peter looked up and smiled at Tony.

There were a few more texts throughout the day. Younger members introducing themselves to Tony. Veterans saying as much as they wanted. Peter knew that some of them messaged Tony separately.

They sat down to another movie. _Onward_. A Disney Pixar new classic about two sons trying to find enough magic to spend one day with their dead father. Peter had only watched it once, with Morgan when he had recently moved into his own place, and they’d both cried a lot. They did this time too, but Tony was there, all three of them huddled together on the couch again.

*****Tony*****

Rhodey cried when Tony opened the door.

“I still almost couldn’t believe it,” Rhodey said. There was another of the important people in his life, clicking into place. Hopefully this wouldn’t hurt as much as Pepper. But that was all still good.

“Have fun. Be safe and smart,” Peter said.

“I’ll watch him,” Rhodey answered.

“So, no superheroing or bar fights,” Rhodey said, after they left the building. His legs seemed to be working just fine, so Tony wouldn’t ask how they were. Colonel James Rhodes didn’t like that. Rhodey never had. Tony didn’t know if he was even still a Colonel.

“Probably not,” Tony agreed. By mutual agreement, they walked in the direction that was the most empty. It was close enough to dark that Tony’s sunglasses would look strange, but he kept them on. He was dressed plainly. “How have you been?” Tony asked.

“Pretty sure that’s supposed to be my line.”

“I’ve been dead and missed six years. Mostly hidden away from the world for most of five years before that. How have you been?”

“Well enough,” Rhodey answered. “Getting older, cutting back commitments, realizing I’m never going to have kids.”

“You still could,” Tony pointed out.

“And die of old age before they reach adulthood.”

“Dying of old age sounds pretty great in our line of work. You still putting on the suit?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“When was the last big disaster?” Tony asked.

“Six years ago, really,” Rhodey answered. “Though it’s possible that our threshold for _big disaster_ has increased. Sometimes Carol or the Guardians stop it before it gets to Earth. So, not that big of a danger. I think most of the universe is just glad to be alive, the ones that have heard about what you did. We have some pretty wide spread peace agreements.”

“That’s great. Not like I did anything alone, but I can accept the praise if you want to give it to me,” he teased.

“You look good, Tony,” Rhodey said.

“ _Imagined_. I’m almost as old as you are, old man.”

“I didn’t even mean it like that. It’s- you look happy. And if you are, that’s great, but you don’t have to pretend around me if you’re not. You don’t have to pretend around your family either. They can take it- including Morgan, but you really don’t have to hide it from me.”

“I’m- relatively good. I’m- more worried about Peter,” Tony said, looking around. Reminded that alleyways were exactly the places that unsavories liked.

“And why are you worried about Peter?” Rhodey asked him.

“Because a normal twenty-two year old doesn’t have a two bedroom apartment so he can half-raise my ten-year-old daughter. And I mean that with absolutely no slight to Pepper. I know she’s doing everything right.”

“You could think of him as twenty-seven if that helps. He’s more mature than his friend Ned, who’s also a good man. A hell of a lot more mature than you were at twenty-seven, or thirty-seven- maybe even forty-seven actually.”

Tony made a face. “I just- can’t help but think that Peter’s given up six years of his life to- bring me back.”

“He’s happier than either of us were in our twenties,” Rhodey said.

“He seems happy,” Tony acknowledged. “Was he last week?” he asked, “A year ago? Five?”

“There was so much to do in the first few years. The government was a mess. Twice as many people to manage, jobs that had been replaced. And I hardly touched inheritance, taxes, and property ownership. I meant to check in on the kid- all of us meant to, I think, and some of them did. By the time I came around for more than a couple minutes, he didn’t seem like a kid. And he seemed okay. He was helping Pepper and Morgan keep going. I don’t know what was in his head. I think you should talk to Peter about Peter. He’s not the same kid you knew him as. Or- maybe he is. I _didn’t_ know him. He still watches the streets of Queens. Of all New York, really. Puts all of us to shame with how much he _cares_ , how hard he tries at everything. Even when almost everyone he respects thinks he’s crazy. I _told_ him he was crazy. But here you are, standing here.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty incredible,” Tony said, allowing that pride to show through.

“All I know is that I went from telling him he needed counseling to asking if I could try out for the fountain of youth treatment- which didn’t work. I- should have been me to make the snap. I would have done it. I don’t have the family to worry about, and I’d _love_ to miss six years and then wake up twenty years younger,” he said.”

“It can’t be that much. I hardly look different at all,” Tony said. But of course he’d noticed the less pronounced lines. Vanished entirely in some areas. He’d spent far too much time looking in mirrors in the past forty years or so to not notice.

“Do you feel younger? Fewer aches and pains? Like your could carry your daughter to bed even without throwing your back out even though she’s doubled in weight since you last tried?”

“I was _never_ that out of shape,” Tony protested. “I am Iron Man,” he said in a pretty poor taste joke for someone who’d seen him die after saying that.

“Mhhhmmmm,” Rhodey hummed. “And we wear super strong metal suits that you designed with your mind that require very little strength to operate. Just see how you look after a beard trimming in a week. There’s not going to be grey underneath there,” Rhodey said. Tony thought maybe he’d wait a little longer than normal for more than a touch-up on his beard.

“Of course, if I’d snapped, I’d’ve stay dead, but I’d have still done it. You are one of a very precious few people on this earth who could come back from that. We don’t all have a Peter Parker.”

“I- wish I could say I’d have done it for you,” Tony said. “I’d have wanted to.”

“It never occurred to me to try. I actively discouraged it when I found out the kid’s plan. I thought of him as a kid again, which sure as hell wasn’t true. No one could tell him no. He just- _made it happen_. Learned everything he needed to learn, convinced the people he needed to convince. Just- _willed_ it to happen. The most incredible force of nature I’ve seen in the whole damned universe is a twenty-something year old man who’s devoted to you and your daughter, and I guess his aunt and his best friend, but the guy has a big heart. He’d care about every person in New York like that if it wouldn’t tear him apart. The guy has talked attempted bank robbers into _counseling_ , has visited lots of people he’s locked up in prison. And now I’ve talked way more about him than I wanted to.”

“I- really don’t deserve that- kind of devotion. I was a really crappy mentor,” Tony said. It was pretty true. He’d put a teenage Peter in danger and not provided enough support. He hadn’t fixed the snap as soon as he should have been able to.

“Well, then you’re lucky that Pete doesn’t need a mentor anymore. He still needs you though. And that’s the last I’m saying about the man. How about cars? Tesla has fully automated driving capabilities in their latest top models, but the government won’t allow them to take out the steering wheel or not have someone in the driver’s seat that can instantly override the car’s decisions. Still illegal to fall asleep at the wheel and all.”

“The tech’s been there for years. I could have done it _years_ ago,” Tony said. “Too much bureaucracy. More than weapons by far. And harder to profit. Not that I miss the weapons game.”

“Your cars are sitting in the Tower garage- the team drives them- sorry about that. Not the old 32’ Ford. I took it out occasionally, till Harley took over looking after them all.”

“I still need to see Harley- tomorrow. Need to see lots of people,” he said. He hadn’t really thought often enough of Harley in the last years, but the kid had obviously never forgotten about him. Others driving his cars didn’t bother him like it once would have. He hadn’t thought of his cars once since coming back. Had any of them been at the compound and destroyed? He hadn’t known or cared. Maybe he’d add a new car to the fleet just because… he was alive and could, but maybe he wouldn’t bother. How many cars did one man need? Anything more than two just felt purposefully wasteful.

“And everyone wants to see you, whenever you want to see us. Thor’s off world somewhere, couldn’t reach him. Nebula’s on her way home- well, back to earth. She wouldn’t call it home but- strange woman, that one, you know."

Nebula. He’d spent weeks alone with her trying to get a ship skyworthy and to make it home. Had thought he’d die with only her for company after watching Peter dissolve in his arms. Not even knowing if Pepper was alive, or Rhodey, or anyone else but this robotic humanoid woman who was still in process of changing everything that she was. They hadn’t had much contact since, but he was glad she was coming.

“Good,” Tony commented when he realized it had been too long.

“The Knicks show some promising young talent. The Yankees still pay too much to old players but keep a good showing. The Mets, Nets, and Jets are all up and down.”

Tony nodded at the sports talk. It was okay live in good seats. New York was lucky to keep most of their teams in the snap, plenty teams had folded when half the talent disappeared, and the world was busy with that. But the world also needed distraction. New York was always the center, wasn’t it? Had the whole world’s attention these days. The people probably didn’t all thank the Avengers for that.

“Soccer club tried to rename itself after you. Pepper didn’t let them. They’re pretty good as I understand it.”

“Mhm,” Tony agreed.

“Want to grab a beer at a bar and pretend to watch whatever sport is on?” Rhodey offered.

“Nursemaid Parker doesn’t want me drinking still, I think.”

“Ah, well, you had better listen to the strongest force of nature in the universe. Bowling?”

“Bowling _sober?_ ”

“Got a better idea?” he asked.

“You get to play bodyguard and deal with everything,” Tony warned.

A thirty-something year old mom noticed him first, before they got near the counter. She literally fell to her knees and cried.

“Mr. Stark. Thank you, Mr. Stark,” she said.

Tony wished Peter was there to handle it. Peter would know what to say.

“Thank you,” Tony said. “Is this your daughter?” he asked.

“It’s her new eighth birthday. We celebrate both now. So many reasons to celebrate,” she said.

Others had crowded around him too.

“No- pictures on the internet, until after tomorrow at ten, _please_ ,” he said.

“Can we still take pictures?” a girl about Morgan’s age asked.

“I couldn’t say no to that,” Tony said.

“What about saying we saw you without a picture?” a boy maybe twelve asked.

“Knock yourself out. And Rhodey, you’re a terrible handler.”

“You’re the one with all the public experience,” Rhodey protested.

“Yeah, and I’m terrible at it, didn’t you see my twenties and thirties? Please don’t go looking for that, kids,” Tony said to the side. It got a laugh from some adults.

“Mr. Iron Man?” a little girl, maybe… six asked. Tony hadn’t gotten to see Morgan at that age.

“Yes, honey?” Tony prompted.

“My daddy said you died for all of us, but now you’re here,” she said.

“I- guess I did. But it wasn’t any more than a lot of other people would do if they were in the same position. And I was okay with that being the end for me. I- hoped for a decade that when I died, it would be something like that- until I had a little girl like you and then I didn’t want to ever go at all, but I was at the right place at the right time, you know? And everyone’s got to go sometime. And then, my really good friend brought me back. With science and magic- one time only type of deal with the universe, I’m told. Which I don’t deserve any more than anyone else we’ve lost, but I’m really glad to be here.”

“And you came here to bowl?” the girl asked. She was adorable.

“My oldest friend Rhodey suggested it. Do you know who he is?” Tony asked.

The girl shook her whole body when she shook her head.

“He wears another suit I made. We call him War Machine,” Tony answered.

“Iron Patriot,” Rhodey corrected.

“Did that catch on in the last six years?” Tony asked.

“Not really,” Rhodes admitted. “But I’ve been less active. Some of us are getting old.”

“You were just talking about how you didn’t need to be strong in the suit,” Tony protested.

Tony looked at the guy at the front desk. He was _maybe_ eighteen. “If I buy out all the lanes for the rest of the night for all my new friends here, can we- not let anymore in until I leave?” Tony asked.

“Whatever you say, Mr. Stark,” the kid’s voice cracked. Probably sixteen.

“Bowling’s on me!” Tony declared. It wasn’t how he had envisioned the evening going.

Lots of children cheered.

Tony and Rhodey slipped out after a game. Tony didn’t even care that he lost. He didn’t need it. And by ‘slipped out’, he meant left out a back door after only talking to about two dozen more people.

*****Peter*****

Peter was surprised when Morgan asked to be tucked in before Tony was even home yet. But maybe it had been a bit overwhelming few days. Even if much of that day had been watching movies, that didn’t mean it was easy.

Have you had a good day, Morgan?” Peter asked, pulling up the covers and really tucking her in like Morgan liked.

“Yeah, it was really good,” Morgan said easily.

“And you’re going to be okay going to school tomorrow? Rumors are already everywhere somehow, and everyone’s going to find out officially tomorrow,” Peter pointed out.

“Everyone’s going to be busy anyway, so I might as well waste my time at school to keep teachers happy. And it’s art class _and_ PE tomorrow,” she said.

Tony walked into the apartment saying goodbye to Rhodey. Morgan looked at the door too.

“Goodnight, Morgan,” Tony called, and Peter was surprised he didn’t come in, but went to the other bedroom instead. Peter hoped Rhodey hadn’t let the man get drunk, but Peter didn’t smell alcohol from here.

“Goodnight, Daddy,” Morgan called back.

Tony activated the soundproofing on Peter’s room. Probably he was taking a shower or something, and Peter would give him privacy.

“Anything I can get you?” Peter offered. “It’s still not that late,” he pointed out- weird reversal there, when Morgan was usually negotiating for a later bedtime.

“No, I’m fine. It’s been a big day, and so will tomorrow. But I don’t mind dealing with the other kids, because it’s _good_ news. It was so hard to keep the secret before it happened, but now it has, and it’s great,” Morgan went on. “And it will be good to see the babies and Mom again, and Roland,” she shrugged. “And I’ll be back by tomorrow night. And you and Daddy can spend a great day together, and have lunch somewhere casual, and take him to dinner somewhere fancy. Or let him take you to dinner somewhere fancy,” Morgan explained.

Peter was going to ignore that wording.

“We’ll go wherever he wants to go. If we go somewhere fancy, do you have a request for something for you to go?” Peter asked. “You can have goose liver pâté reheated in the microwave for breakfast the next morning,” Peter pointed out.

Morgan made a face, “That’s gross, Peter. You should order steak, or lobster, or sushi. And just the two of you,” Morgan instructed.

“You and your dad have all the time in the world to hang out with just you. And if you want me around for that, I’m so, so happy to be here. There’s lots of other people who want to see your dad too though, you know. I don’t mind sharing his time. It’s so good just to have him back, you know?” Peter said.

“Yeah, and they can see him in the lab and gym and stuff. And maybe lunch. _Dinner_ is for date night,” Morgan said, undeniably directly that time.

“Morgan, I don’t think your daddy is going to be ready to date for a while. In his mind, he was married to your mom yesterday. And when he does want to date again, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be to a very nice woman, and he’s going to care very, very much what you think about her,” Peter explained.

“But people can want to marry women _and_ men,” Morgan pointed out.

“That’s true,” Peter said.

“You dated Cassie and Harley,” Morgan pointed out.

And then it occurred to him that Tony could be listening to everything they were saying. He didn’t have a full AI home like the Tower, but he had enough, and Tony was clearly familiar with it already to activate the soundproofing. Would Tony eavesdrop on them?

“I didn’t actually date Cassie, I just went with her to a few dances. And that’s not relevant here. Maybe your daddy _would_ date a man, I- have never had that conversation with him, to be honest. But I don’t think that’s what’s bothering you. I need you to know that I will see you as much as I can and _always_ be part of your family _no matter what_ for the rest of my life _._ I promise,” Peter said. Morgan was probably worried that her dad would make a new family like her mother had, and she would bounce between the two and not see Peter. They were really close. “You’ve got your room here waiting for whenever you can come over,” Peter promised.

“I know _that_ . I also know that you spent _six years_ trying to save my daddy,” Morgan started. The girl was too smart for his own good. “You must love him to do that.”

“Of course I love him, Morgan,” Peter answered.

“You’re just trying to be difficult now,” Morgan pouted. “You’ve never dated _anybody_ more than a few dates,” Morgan said.

“I haven’t made dating someone a priority in my life, no,” Peter agreed.

“Do you think my daddy’s _handsome_?” Morgan pressed.

“Morgan, that really doesn’t matter,” Peter said. Tony could easily be listening.

“And that means _yes,_ ” Morgan translated. “You should ask him out,” Morgan informed Peter.

“Morgan, I can’t do that,” Peter refused gently.

“Because he used to be married to Mommy,” Morgan said easily. That probably seemed like so long ago to Morgan, but it had just been Tony’s life for the last five years.

“Yes, honey,” Peter said. It was complicated. After the unsnap, plenty of new marriages had broken up, for people going back to their first spouses. When they were dating, Tony and Pepper had broken up and gotten back together, fought and made up so many times… but it had sounded like they had been really happy in those five years. Of course, Peter only heard the good stories.

“And when will it have been long enough for you to ask him out?” Morgan pressed.

“Morgan, I’m _not going_ to ask your dad out. And I don’t know when he’ll be ready to date someone. There’s no right or wrong time. It might be tomorrow, or next month, next year, in ten years, or he might not want to date again.”

“That would be sad,” Morgan said.

“I don’t think that will be the case, really, but someone doesn’t need romance to be happy, Morgan.”

“If you think he’ll marry someone, then why shouldn’t it be you, Peter?” Morgan asked.

“Besides the fact that I’m _pretty sure_ he just likes women? Because when he last saw me, I was like… only a little older than Cooper, and the whole world being different now has to be weird for him. Morgan, I _really_ don’t want you pushing this on him. He might try something he doesn’t want just to make you happy, understand? If- well after he’s adjusted to his new life, whenever that is, if your dad gets the idea on his own and asks me out, I- suppose I’d say yes and see how it goes,” Peter said. It was a stupid thing to say. “Even if that happened, which it _won’t_ , I wouldn’t expect it to go well. I’m an awkward person. There’s lots of reasons I’ve never had a steady relationship.”

“You just haven’t found the right person yet, so I’ve found him for you,” Morgan declared brightly.

“Morgan, sleep time, alright? You said you wanted to sleep in here- are you sure?” Peter asked. Conniving child.

“I’m sure. You and my daddy have lots and lots to talk about,” Morgan said.

“Morgan, I’m _definitely_ sleeping on the couch,” Peter corrected her assumptions.

“Why? You seemed very comfortable this morning,” Morgan objected.

“ _Soooo_ not a conversation I’m having with a ten-year-old,” Peter maintained.

“I was just talking about _cuddling_ , not _sex_ ,” Morgan said matter-of-factly, to Peter’s mortification. “And Mommy’s already talked to me about sex. You know that. She says it’s better than me learning from the internet, which I’ve promised not to go looking for.”

“For a _long_ time,” Peter added.

“Yeah, yeah,” Morgan brushed off easily. Peter was in no way prepared for this genius kid he loved so much reaching puberty. Probably many of the girls in her grade already had started it all.

“Good night, little bug,” Peter called her another of their pet names, and kissed her forehead. “I’ll send your dad in?” Peter offered.

“It’s okay, i’ll see him tomorrow. Tell him I love him for me,” Morgan smiled brightly.

“I will.”

“You should also tell him you love him,” Morgan insisted.

“Good _night_ , Morgan,” Peter said instead.

“You know I’m right,” Morgan stated. “Any of us could die any day, so you have to live your best each day and tell people you love them,” Morgan insisted.

“Morgan, you are as safe as the two dozen super powerful people who love you can make you,” Peter promised.

“I _know_ ,” Morgan agreed. “And you have a super suit, and backup when you need it, and you haven’t even been badly hurt in four years. And you’ll look after Daddy when he wants to be Iron Man again. You should still tell him you love him,” Morgan added.

“I love you, Morgan,” Peter said instead. “To heaven and back.”

“To heaven and back,” Morgan answered.

Peter heard the soundproofing disengaging as he opened the door to Morgan’s room. Tony probably didn’t know it made a noise.

Great. Just _great_.

“So,” Peter said, sitting on the opposite side of the bed from where Tony was laying, very consciously on top of the covers- which had taken intention on his part, because the blankets had definitely been strewn across the bottom of the bed that morning and were now at least half ordered. “Morgan says she loves you, and I’m going to acknowledge that you heard all of that, and we can talk about whatever parts you want to talk about, or about anything else.”

Tony smiled, “You might recall that I do not possess super hearing or any other super powers.”

“You activated soundproofing, and then deactivated it when I left Morgan’s room. Clearly you activated speakers into Morgan’s room during that time.”

“I could have been more deceptive,” Tony acknowledged.

“I just don’t want what Morgan was saying to make you uncomfortable,” Peter said.

“She’s a sweet kid, and obviously loves you very much.”

“Well… I don’t expect her pestering to last too long. Morgan tried to get me to marry Pepper three- four years ago. And she backed off when I showed her I wasn’t going anywhere from her life. She’ll always have a room here- I- sorry that’s maybe weird for you. I would never try to replace you in her life. And there was never anything between me and Pepper.”

“I wouldn’t expect so. Her being more than old enough to be your mother with a decade to spare- I suppose old enough to be your grandmother with some young teenage pregnancies,” Tony considered.

“I- don’t care about that at all. Pepper’s a wonderful woman- age or appearance would have nothing to do with why I wouldn’t date her.”

“Her gender?” Tony asked- “Sorry, that was invasive of me.”

“I- aesthetically prefer men, but don’t find it particularly important,” Peter said. “I just wanted to mention it because Morgan’s _really_ not subtle, and this will probably be on her mind for at least a week. Now, how was going out with Rhodey?” Peter asked.

“We- walked around. Then played a game of bowling- bought out the place for the night- not as expensive as you might have thought- talked to some people, mostly kids- because when Morgan was about three I became better at talking to kids than adults. Walked around some more after. Met up with Sam too. Heard about- everyone else, I guess. Steve must have always been almost as crazy as you,” Tony smiled a bit.

Peter nodded. “We can go to the labs tomorrow, if you want,” Peter said.

“Yeah, okay. Rhodey didn’t like talking about you. Thought I should ask you questions myself,” Tony said.

“Ask away,” Peter prompted, nervous.

“I want to know everything. High school, college- I hope, boys, girls, how the hell you saved me. Anything that makes you happy in this world.”

“I- didn’t go back to high school,” Peter started. “I hadn’t really felt like I totally belonged- well, ever, but especially since getting my powers, and then- Ned wasn’t snapped, which I know you knew about- he appreciated you reaching out, you know,” Peter told him.

“I didn’t do much,” Tony brushed off. “I haven’t told you recently enough that I’m glad you’re not dust. I- still had nightmares over it sometimes. Probably still will,” Tony confessed. He was so much more open than the Tony Peter had known as a teenager. Or at least he was more open to Peter, and Peter wouldn’t take it for granted. He grabbed Tony’s hand, and squeezed, and relaxed it. Neither pulled the hand away. Peter decided he might as well lie down if it was going to be a long story time. But he didn’t need that hand for that.

“I- well, academically, I took some college courses- chemistry and biology, engineering, physics, math. I- well, I’d come out as Spiderman by then- I did pretty immediately afterwards- and I got to take any course I wanted then, really. And Pepper made sure I had whatever funding I wanted for projects. I started grad classes as quickly as I could- I- never got a college degree because I wouldn’t have all the courses for anything. And I worked through your notes, and Harley came up and wanted to stay, and we became friends. I- lived- really wherever at first. With Aunt May, or in the labs. Thought I'd move into the dorms at Columbia, but never did. I saw Morgan a lot, always seemed to end up over there. And sometimes I just stayed- sleeping on a couch or bed- Pepper’s, Morgan’s, it didn’t matter. I watched Morgan a lot when Pepper had company stuff to deal with. Helped them move back into the city, and there was a room for me- well, a guest room, but I was the only one who ever slept there- and often Morgan would crawl in with me. I worked a lot, but it was all so incredible. I looked through a lot of your notes on- anything I hoped to understand. And started working with Bruce too. I never wanted to pick between biological, chemical, mechanical, or electrical engineering, you know?” Peter said, and Tony was smiling at him.

“And… when I was focusing so hard on trying to fix Bruce’s arm- when Bruce hadn’t even been trying… I knew that really I wanted to do it- to save you. But I couldn’t undo you snapping, so I had to save you afterwards. And- I got Stephen on board to grab you at the right time, and, well- figuring out keeping you alive after that took a long time to have a try at- and longer after that to feel confident that it- had a real shot of working. We took samples from Bruce’s arm, Stephen helped us with duplicating the samples so we had enough to work with. And eliminating the factors from Bruce’s own powers. Well, along the way we figured out how- well, we could get rid of Hulk if we wanted to, but Bruce wouldn’t, of course, at this point. And- also we’re confident we could give someone else hulk powers if we wanted to, but we’re keeping that well under wraps. It was- well, discussed as a way to save you, but I was confident we could go with regeneration instead. Well- Bruce said if it worked, he’d help me write something up- the stuff we used to save you, not the hulk stuff, and some place would give me a PhD over it, because a lot of his PhDs worked like that… but I just- am so glad it worked,” Peter said.

“You should write it up,” Tony said. “I don’t want to be the reason for you neglecting your education,” he reasoned.

“I’ve learned more in the last six years than I would have thought possible. I could have just gotten a bachelor’s in… say biochemical engineering and never even gotten to touch the good lab equipment that they only let the grad students and professors use. And even their ‘good equipment’ wouldn’t have been like working in Stark Labs with Bruce.”

“Yes, well, getting a PhD without a Bachelor’s would be suitably unusual for you,” Tony praised. It sounded like praise to Peter anyway.

“Rhodey said many thought you were- delusional, obsessed…” Tony said.

“Yeah, well it seriously ups my misunderstood genius ‘cred’ now,” Peter joked. “No one believed except Stephen. Even Bruce didn’t sometimes, but he wanted to try. It upset Pepper, and she was- pretty mad when Morgan found out- which was understandable, because she shouldn’t have to get crushed again. I had tried to keep it from her, but she’s conniving, and F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s always on her side. It was- also about the same time Pepper was seriously dating again. I- got my own place- because it would be weird if she- brought someone home when I was there. But I kept Morgan a lot still, because Morgan refused to go to sleep for someone else- she was very apologetic to Happy about it, because she really loves Happy, of course. And really, we made up and were on good terms again. And Roland’s a really good guy. Morgan and I keep the babies about once a week. A boy, Ashton, a girl, Alana. I- don’t know how to say everything, I’m jumping all of the place.”

“Tell me about some fun things,” Tony asked.

“Ned kept me grounded. He was at Stanford at first, but we saw each other when we could. We stayed close. I think closer than we would have if he had been snapped too, because he had those five years to- grow up, and I was always going to grow up really fast with all that. We introduced Morgan to Star Wars. She’s been BB8, Rey, Chewbacca, and Captain Phasma for different Halloweens. We made some really good toy lightsabers- contracted with Disney for the sale of those- coolest business meeting ever. Morgan convinced Pepper to let her be in the advertisement for it after she charmed enough people to be offered the role. Like she recorded an audition tape and sent it out without anyone knowing. She’s a great actress and could also describe all the inner-workings of the toy. It’s adorable. We also some very _not toy_ lightsabers that were not made for public distribution.”

“Ned’s a good kid,” Tony said.

“I’ll tell him you said so. He’ll be inordinately flattered. He’ll also enjoy being called a kid, because he’s already worried about turning thirty even when it’s a ridiculous thing to worry about, and still three years away.”

“What were your costumes when you dressed up with Morgan? Because of course you did.” Tony asked.

“Poe to her BB8, Luke to her Rey, Han to her Chewie, Stormtrooper Finn to her Phasma. The year between BB8 and Rey, she was Boo from Monster’s Inc, and I was Sully. And really, that might have been my favorite of all. She hasn’t picked this year’s yet. I dread the year that she decides she’s too old for trick-or-treating. I think she’d humor me a few more years anyway.”

“I’m glad you had some relaxation in life. Something else. Anything.”

“I’ve kept up the Spiderman gig, not as much as I wanted. Joined Avengers officially- which still feels weird. I’ve- been to space several times, mostly with Nebula. Because I always loved space and didn’t want to be scared away from it. You really made an impact on Nebula, you know? And the Guardians are fun, and Thor is with them like half the time.

“Harley became a good friend, and Cassie and Scott both became my good friends, really. I got to use a shrink suit, talked with Dr. Pym and Hope a lot, in case their stuff would be useful, and there was potential there, but we didn’t go for it because magic worked better. Talked with Shuri a lot, she advised me on some things. They’re pretty secretive with their technology still, but she helped some. And Wakanda is _incredible_.”

Tony was smiling at him again.


	3. Chapter 3

Peter awoke in strong manly arms, very wrapped up in them. His body said that this was absolute perfection, except the erection digging into his left ass cheek really should be… just a bit lower… Damn, this was going to freak Tony out when he woke up. Maybe the man’s erection would go down by then, and it would be much less awkward. Of course, Peter’s probably wouldn’t. And Tony’s hand was only a few inches away from Peter’s very interested idiot dick. The stupid man-part of him that didn’t care that Tony’s erection is probably from a… a dream of Pepper, or at best just a random biological reaction. It was awkward having been the kid looking to Iron Man... turning into the young teen with a crush on the genius super hero... turning into the man’s mentee with a more hopeless crush… and then learning all of the good and bad parts of Tony Stark, and then hearing about him as a father, and wanting to know that man so badly- determined to save him- and definitely _not_ in a looking- for- a- father- figure- sort- of- way. 

Tony jerked suddenly, and Peter knew the man was awake. _Great_.

“Peter?” Tony questioned sleepily in his ear, and hugged tighter. Peter revelled in every bit of the contact, even through multiple layers of clothes, being pressed tightly against. “ _Fuck_ ,” Tony hissed, and moved his arm away… which didn’t really help when it brushed right against Peter’s idiot dick. “Sorry,” Tony added, scooting far back.

“It’s fine. Happens.” Because Tony didn’t have super hearing to hear Peter’s heartbeat so frantic it was a wonder Peter could hear anything else.

“ _Fuck_. Morgan could have been-” Tony groaned, face into the mattress. “She can’t-” Tony groaned.

“Tony, it’s fine. And if Morgan wants to crawl into bed, I’ll put her on my other side. She’s not clingy, and I’m not either, so it’s not been a problem for me, though I got a big bed to be sure. She lays flat or curls in on herself like Pepper- sorry that sounds weirder than it is that I know that, I swear. Or, I can sleep just fine on the couch.” Even though that wouldn’t fix the problem if Morgan wanted to crawl in the bed, it seemed right to offer. He should have been sleeping on the couch anyway.

“I- had the nightmare again, you turning to dust in my arms- but I didn’t wake up then this time. You came back and saved _me_ ,” Tony said. Wonderful words. They’d be okay. Tony had a weird life, but he’d be okay.

“You did save me first,” Peter pointed out. “Me and the rest of the universe.”

“I didn’t bring people back, just killed Thanos and his minions,” Tony said.

“Your genius plan made it all possible. And, Thanos would have destroyed the _entire_ universe and started from scratch. So, yes, you’re a big hero, and you’ll just have to deal with it. Your press conference will definitely cover it.”

“I hate the press,” Tony complained.

“Me too. I’ve had just one proper press conference ever, and Pepper’s certainly tried to get me to go to a lot of them. But I’ll be there for you today.”

“You should be the one to have to talk,” Tony complained. “I don’t even know how you made me not dead.”

“I’ll talk if you want, but they want to see you.”

“Sorry I molested you in your sleep,” Tony grumbled. “I- do that. Pepper couldn’t sleep like that- she would set up a pillow wall to block me. I can- figure out what properties I own. Or sleep on the couch. Or kick Morgan in here with you and steal her bed,” Tony listed options, none of which Peter wanted. And making a pillow wall seemed really sad. He respected sleep and knew that people needed to do what they had to, but it seemed sadder than separate beds to him. Like two twin beds like in old tv shows looked down right adorable, even if kinda weird.

“Tony, you didn’t molest me,” Peter said. “I can sleep anyway, anywhere, anytime, as long as my spider senses aren’t bothering me or I’m freaking out about something- which was honestly usually focused on fearing that saving you would go horribly wrong and I’d have to watch you die again. But other than that, no problems sleeping. I’ve literally slept on the ceiling to see if I could. Easy. And I would never let you sleep on the couch, and you’d have trouble convincing Morgan, because for the first time ever, Morgan doesn’t want to sleep in here, because it doesn’t fit with her devious plan. I would... totally understand if you want to move into Stark Tower, or anywhere else, and I’ll- stay or go or- just don’t do something you don’t want because of me.”

“I like being here with you and Morgan- especially in a place without memory baggage.” He could still by a new place.

“Then I hope you stay for a long time to come.”

*****Tony*****

When was his last press conference? He couldn’t remember. Something after the snap, but not often. It was hard to remember the last of something when you don’t know it was going to be the last. Or the last ‘until’...

“How are you coping with Ms. Potts’ new marriage?” a reporter asked. He knew they would ask that one, of course, and prepared an answer. He hadn’t been sure that it would be the very first question.

“I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Roland yet, but I’m sure he’s- actually, let’s be honest, Pepper has a history of _terrible_ taste in men, or she never would have been with me. I’m sure he’s nearly as horrible as I am, but I’ll do my best to like him for Pepper’s sake. Or, perhaps Pepper learned from her mistakes and found a nice guy. And he’s the father of my precious angel’s little brother and sister. We live in a crazy world, and I know many of you out there have had to deal with a situation like this six years ago. Every situation is different. I have no intention of making Pepper’s new marriage difficult. It is a large adjustment, but we have been friends long before we were married. In the end, I’d rather be here than anywhere else. Next question.”

“How are you here, Mr. Stark? Have you been hiding in the last six years pretending to be dead?” the man asked.

“There is nothing short of death- or permanent unconsciousness- that would keep me from my little girl. I died,” he said. “My _exceedingly_ brilliant and even more stubborn friend, Peter,” Tony nodded at Peter, and most of the cameras zoomed that way. “Brought me back with the help of Bruce Banner and- I don’t know if I have permission to name our magic guy. He’s harder to reach. Basically, they grabbed me right before I died, took me back here, and stopped me from dying. And the magic guy says this is a one time thing and wouldn’t make a paradox. Above my pay grade, really.”

“Mr. Parker!”

“Mr. Parker!”

“Spider-Man!”

“Comment, Mr. Parker?”

“Hey, hey now. Not going to let you harass the man who gave me new life. If at any point you want to say something, Peter, just come up and tell me to shut up. But until he does, you all can direct questions at me. Next question,” he prompted, nodding at a raised hand. Peter smiled at him. Tony made note to ask how he came out as Spider-Man. Was that in the one press conference? Or maybe on youtube. Or instagram.

“When did you come back?” he next one asked. Nice, easy question. He decided he liked that person.

“The day before yesterday. You got another question?”

“Ah- not that you’ll want to answer as readily,” the young man admitted.

“Worst I’ll do is not answer,” Tony laughed.

“Where have you been living- or who have you been staying with?” An interesting question that indeed he didn’t want to answer. Beyond security reasons. Because staying with Peter got weird when he woke up cuddling the kid-who wasn’t a kid anymore- with an erection harder than he had had in at least a decade. Which had been a normal thing when he was thirty, which he was very much _not_.

“Ah- in a safe location spending time with friends and family. And if I pick up stalkers, I will start with some very mundane restraining orders that make reporter jobs difficult. Next.”

He picked another at random.

“What are you doing today, Mr. Stark?” one asked.

“Looking around the labs, getting my hands dirty if medical clears me. Seeing more friends and family. Next question.”

“Are you going to get back in the suit, get back out there fighting?” the next pressed, entirely out of turn. Bad form.

“I don’t believe I called on you. Bad form. Quite a bit of bad form today. Would someone else like to ask- perhaps a similar question?” Tony prompted.

Tony nodded at a raised hand.

“Are you still going to be Iron Man?” she asked.

“I _am_ Iron Man,” Tony said. “I didn’t like who I was before Iron Man. I can’t imagine a time when that isn’t part of who I am. My family and friends are even expecting it, knew it without me having to say it. However, I will do everything I can to prevent my little girl from attending another funeral for her father before she’s my age,” Tony said with a little smile. “I’ll be there when I’m needed. When all of the Avengers are needed, which I hope isn’t often. I’ll get up to form again and be ready. Before my last fight- I’d been out of that life for five years- but I’d never wanted to be, never stopped making improvements to the suits, and it didn’t take much to get me back when I- didn’t think I wanted to. And I’m really looking forward to getting back in the lab. To making things for Stark Industries, and also for the Avengers- I hope. I haven’t had a political briefing, so I have been instructed to avoid those questions- which I might have strayed too close to already. And with that, I think we’re done,” Tony announced.

Many of the reporters thanked him on the way out. They were almost as bad as parents at the bowling alley. It was kind of nice.

“I can go to the lab, yeah?” Tony checked with Peter.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t try to keep you away when we’re already here. Just- don’t overwork yourself and we’ll still break for lunch and dinner, yeah?” Peter checked.

“FRIDAY!” Tony greeted his AI. It had been too long. He had brought her to the house but hadn’t really used her much.

“Welcome back, Boss.”

“Get everything ready in some logical order, because I want to see it all,” Tony said. “Waiting for you in the lab with Mr. Keener.

“Hey, Mr. Stark,” Harley said. The kid was probably six feet tall and skinny. And like Peter, not a kid anymore.

“It’s Tony,” he corrected. “Peter, you’ve got some stuff to write up, don’t you- the end of your experiment, writing your thesis- getting credit for the ridiculously educated human you’ve become?” Tony pressed.

“Yeah, I can see if Bruce is around. He might have been doing everything to avoid your press conference.” Peter still lingered.

“How about you, Harley? Finish your education?” Tony asked.

“I- take some classes here and there. The company covers it- thanks. I’m no genius like you and Peter though. Just a mechanic lucky enough to play with billions of dollars of equipment. And my baby sister already beat me to a college degree. She’s a teacher now, second grade.”

“Yeah, well she’s older than you now,” Peter pointed out.

“ _Is not_ ,” Harvey protested quickly. It was clearly an old bit between them.

“If he actually writes some English papers this time, he’ll have his mechanical engineering degree from NYU in the spring or summer. It’s very impressive,” Peter assured him.

“Doesn’t take a genius to go in-state to NYU,” Harley shot back. “At my age, anyway- does at Morgan’s, of course.”

“Whatever,” Peter said, grinning and walking out. “I’ll be around if you need anything,” Peter said in Tony’s direction.

“Mom okay?” Tony asked next.

“Yeah, she’s doing good. They’re both still back home. Mom has a good job. She’s married again, to a good guy this time.”

“Good, good, and good,” Tony repeated, earning a grin from the younger man.

“Don’t need a lecture on expanding my vocabulary,” Harley put in. “I was already shamed by Morgan a while ago.”

“As long as you’re not teaching her naughty words,” Tony countered.

“I mean- Morgan’s a smart kid, and kids know all the bad words by like eight these days, and she’s always been with kids a year older.”

“It was easier when she didn’t see anyone but me or Pepper all day,” Tony said. “But this is better,” he said quickly. Which was- of course it was better, Peter and Harley and half the universe was alive again. And he felt- so alive in the lab. And he couldn’t imagine ten year old Morgan being happy secluded in the country with no contact with anyone. If anything, she wanted to be more in the world. And it was probably time to show her just a bit more.

“Glad to hear it.”

“So- Mom has a new man, how about you?”

“Morgan yeah? Don’t think Peter would bring up my romantic life. Not that I hide it or anything. Not that Morgan knows the particulars of it.”

“You and Peter seem like good friends,” Tony said neutrally.

“We are. Really good friends. Just not on the same page- not even in the same book romantically.”

“Mhm…” Tony said, because he wanted to know more without asking.

“Like- you’ve seen Peter with Morgan. Have you seen him with the twins?” he asked.

“I should this evening,” Tony said neutrally.

“He’s perfect. Perfect guy with kids, grandparents, strangers on the street, family friendly, clean cut, red white and blue, bring home to show off to momma type of guy.”

“Well… maybe he’ll adopt- or hire a surrogate- or settle down with a nice woman someday- my ten-year-old daughter says he dates women too,” Tony said. Though he was eavesdropping for that conversation.

“I hope he doesn’t. Kids, maybe, though I think he might have the kid hole in his heart filled already. But- he doesn’t find women attractive- like he doesn’t even like _breasts_ , and lots of gay guys still appreciate a nice pair of breasts. He just doesn’t think physical attraction is a necessary factor in relationship. So he’ll go on the occasional date with a woman, see where it goes- which is always _nowhere_ , because he moves like a _glacier_. We went on two dates and didn’t even kiss.”

Not like Tony at twenty-two.

“And I’m the very casual Grindr and Tinder type- very seriously worried that I’ll run out of non-straight single men looking for casual hook-ups in my desired age range in New York City. And I mean- it’s not like I’ve got a different guy every night- there’s lots of skipped nights and plenty repeat appearances. Just not the- watching a Star Wars movie I’ve seen twice already while sitting next to each other in what can’t even be called cuddling. That’s not my style. Maybe having sex with some Star Wars themed porn in the background.” 

“You use all available preventive health measures?” Tony might have raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, _yeah_. All preventive measures taken every time, and I get regularly tested anyway. And I have crazy great health coverage- thanks to your company. Feel better?”

“I’d _feel better_ if you learned to do the testing yourself in- whatever lab here has the equipment for it- or it could in a week if we bought it- and if you dragged every person in here- avoiding proprietary information of course- and tested him yourself before you slept with him. But I suppose that is a larger ask of a casual partner- and I don’t off hand know how long std tests take without the added red tape.”

So… maybe that seemed more than a little overboard as he was saying it.

“Yeah that is- appreciated concern that I will _definitely_ ignore. But greatly appreciated, seriously.”

“Just let me know if you need anything,” Tony said. Harley was a mature young man, certainly more so than Tony had been at that age, and would be perfectly fine. Tony just worried these days.

Tony could forget about anything, even that conversation, while looking through design schematics. 

He was interrupted some time later by Peter, a gentle voice and hand on his back. “Where do you want to go to lunch, Tony?” Peter asked. “Bruce is coming with- and Harley?” Peter asked, looking at the other young man, who nodded, smiling easily.

“I never turn down a free lunch,” Harley added.

“You could easily afford to buy your own,” Peter pointed out.

“Someplace new,” Tony decided. “Whatever’s close that you like and opened in the last six- or I guess eleven years.”

They went to an Italian place. It was nice. The wait staff was obviously coached not to make a scene of them. They didn’t have a private room, but it was a secluded area, and no one came up to them. Bruce is human-looking. When asked, Bruce says that Hulk’s always with him anyway, so it doesn’t matter what he looks like, and sometimes it’s nice to not have the attention. Tony hadn’t even realized he was hungry until Peter said anything, but he was. It was nice. He was catching up on the past, and eventually he’d move forward. 

In the afternoon, he was scribbling on blank files. Most of his ideas had been at least attempted in the last six years, and it was time to make new ones. Ones that would never happen, ones that would, and the middle ground, the ones that apparently would only happen if he disappeared for multiple years again. Which he wouldn’t.

He made sure to acknowledge Harley when the boy- man- said he was leaving. Tony said that he didn't know if he’ll be there the next day. And, strangely, that doesn’t even bother him.

Peter stops in so quickly after that Tony wonders if there’s a designated quitting work time, or if Harley texted Peter that he was leaving.

“Dinner?” Peter asks.

“Yeah, how about a place I’ve been before- okay with somewhere fancy? I know the owner, so they won’t care what we wear,” Tony said. He’d done a search to make sure it and several other places he liked weren’t closed and had the same owners, and, fortunately, less had changed than he feared. And some places that had been- snapped away were back now, which was even better.

Maybe it was a bit… strange to go out somewhere nice like Morgan had instructed. But Tony enjoyed nice places and saw no reason to deprive himself. This was his new life, and he was going to enjoy it.

“Yeah, sounds great,” Peter smiled.

“FRIDAY, have Jean expecting us,” he instructed.

French food meant quality ingredients with lots of butter and cheeses, and excellent wine. And Peter looked more at ease in the setting than Tony would have expected. They ate whatever the chef had sent to them, which was the way Tony liked it. He asked for double portions for Peter, because for a super-metabolism, many courses of tiny portions just seemed like teasing.

By dessert, a large creation of chocolate mousse that they shared, Tony had the pleasant feeling that his stomach would tolerate the rich food just fine. Small luxuries.

  
  


*****Peter*****

Happy was still their driver whenever needed, even though he was cleared for much more. And while they walked to the French restaurant, Happy was there to pick them up when they left. And he dropped them at the door, even though he would have been welcome to come in.

“Pee! Pee! Pee! Pee!” a tiny voice shrieked when they stepped into the house. Peter hurried forward to not block the door.

Peter bent to pick up Ashton as screams turned to giggles.

“Hey, Munchkin,” Peter greeted, planting a kiss on the little boy’s forehead.

“Up!” Alana demanded, little fingers wiggling.

“Why hello, my little lion cub,” Peter greeted, scooping Alana up as well.

“Raaaar,” Alana said, hands like claws. It was the cutest thing he’d ever taught anyone. “Up!” Alana ordered again, now pointing at the ceiling. ‘Up’ was her favorite word, and her favorite thing. And babies understood more than people gave them credit for. Well, they weren’t really babies anymore.

“I can’t climb the walls holding both of you,” which was true unless there was an emergency- in which case he could haul everyone in the room to anywhere needed, “And I think it’s getting close to sleepy time. What do you think, Ashton?” Peter asked.

“Book,” the little boy said.

“I can put them down, Roland, if you don’t mind?” Peter spoke to their father, because the man was probably feeling weird about having his wife’s late husband in their home. And maybe the man would like to escape the room with the kids.

“Yeah. In fact, there’s a new book in there I picked up today. Thought they might like, about Iron Man,” the man said, looking at Tony.

“All lies, I hope,” Tony said.

“Morgan gave it her seal of approval, so I hope not,” the man said. “It is an honor to meet you, ah- sir,” Roland said. Roland was in his forties, about fifteen years younger than Pepper, had been engaged before the snap, and had come back to find his fiancé engaged to another man. Neither marriage happened.

“It’s Tony, please,” Tony said.

“I won’t be long,” Peter said, looking at Tony, who seemed okay enough. He was holding Morgan as she sat on the kitchen counter.

Peter sat on the big bean bag chair in the baby room with a kid on each knee.

It was a nice book. Iron Man showed kids around New York City, and introduces them to other Avengers along the way, including Spider-Man, which gave Peter a warm feeling.

Peter also listened to the discussion in the other room, now about Roland’s work as a high up executive in the New York Presbyterian Hospital Group, which was most of the hospitals in the city, it felt like.

“Pee! Pee!” Ashton shrieks when Peter revealed Spider-Man’s picture.

“That’s right, that’s me. And do you know who Iron Man is, Ashton?” Peter asked, turning to the last page. It was the site of the snap, the field near the Avengers compound upstate, though the book didn’t describe the place, and it looked like it did when Peter was there just a few days ago. Empty and peaceful, with Iron Man standing in it.

Ashton looked blankly.

“You’ll see him next time in his suit maybe. We want you to sleep real soundly, so no more excitement tonight. But he’s someone very important to me and Morgan, and your mommy, and maybe to you two and your daddy someday too,” Peter said, kissing both little children on their foreheads and hoisting them into their cribs, first Ashton, handing him a shark stuffed animal that Peter had gotten the little boy, and then Alana with her little lioness- it had been difficult to find a lioness toy that wasn’t Nala. He wished he’d gotten to know Morgan at this age, but he’d been there long enough. “Love you, and sleep tight,” Peter wished them goodnight.

“I think they’ll stay down,” Peter told Roland and Pepper when he rejoined them.

“I could be offended that our children are so much better behaved for you than for us, but I’ve long ago decided just to be grateful, Peter. Thank you,” Roland said.

They left soon after. If they stayed much later Morgan wouldn’t have much time before bed, even if she didn’t go to school the next day, which was still undecided.

“Now, I told Happy to leave when we got here… so how about a flight home?” Tony asked, directed at Morgan. Home. _Home_. They were on the sidewalk outside of Pepper and Roland’s house.

“Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes!” Morgan squealed. “Who do I ride with? Or- my suit?” she asked, shaking her wrist to the large purple bangle bracelet that was always on it. She really didn’t need to sleep in it, but she did.

“I want to see you fly, squirt,” Tony said. “If Peter says it’s safe.”

That was surprising to- ask Peter’s permission?

“Of course it’s safe. It’s- been a secret that she has that protection, but it hasn’t been needed yet. We- could revisit some upgrades,” Peter said slowly.

“FRIDAY activate!” Morgan whispered. Morgan clapped her hands when they were encased in metal. She wouldn’t have suit control once they got into the air.

“Friday takes over to fly you home?” Tony double checked, looking between Peter and Morgan.

“Yes,” Morgan answered. Still excitement instead of annoyance. “But Peter promised that when I was older I could learn how to fly- from Rhodey or Harley- though Peter totally knows how, he says they’re better- and ten is a _lot_ older than eight,” she pressed. “I’m in middle school now,” she said, even though her school still kept sixth grade with elementary. “And in college,” she pointed out. “You could teach me.”

“Ah, well, I think a college girl can handle it, don’t you, Pete?” Tony said. “As long as you’re doing well in all your classes?"

“I am, I am!” Morgan promised.

Peter loved the trip home. Maybe he showed off a little extra for Morgan, since she rarely got to really see him move around, flipping between buildings. And he engaged his thrusters whenever the large buildings disappeared for a block.

“Giving me a damned heart attack,” Tony shouted. Peter felt a little bad- after all, Tony didn’t have much experience with Peter’s newest suit, even if Tony had designed it years ago. Designed it in the five years that Peter hadn’t existed, which had probably been a depressing project.

“I’ll go to bed early, and to school tomorrow, and then when I get home at three, we can go flying. So, if you go to work, you have to be home by three,” Morgan informed him. “I’m going to sleep. I can put myself to bed. Goodnight. Oh, do you need my suit?” she asked, unclasping the large bangle and holding it out.

“Well, I really don’t like to think about you out of it,” Peter said, hoping he wasn’t overstepping. Why don’t we go to the lab together after your school?” Peter suggested, looking at Tony.

“Yes!” Morgan squealed. “Happy can drive me straight to the lab and we can test there too- outside. Unless you weren’t going to go to work tomorrow, and then I can stay home with you and we can work on the suit together in the morning and then fly,” Morgan said.

“Hey, did school go okay? You class found out about your dad, I’m sure?” he glanced at Tony, who was now concerned.

“I know you guys told my teachers before, but all the other teachers kept popping into our room- to make sure I was okay, I guess. Some of them were crying. It was nice-weird. Lots of the other kids want to meet you. It’s kinda weird that the kids like just a year or two younger than me don’t even remember the snap. But the kids I know better in my class already know Peter, so I think they were less- mystified, I guess- knowing a superhero and accepting that Peter could do just about anything.”

“So school’s okay?” Peter asked. “Nothing you don’t want do at school tomorrow?” Peter checked.

“School’s _fine_ , except it’s not nearly as good as being in the lab or flying,” Morgan informed them.

“The lab will still be there after school,” Tony said. “Your mother must want you there for some reason, and she’s far smarter than I am, so I want you there too. You have- friends- good friends? Do you want me to meet them? I don’t really know how this goes.”

“My best friend is Nat, and you do need to meet him. My closest friends from school are Rachel and Sam- Sam’s a girl. We can go to a movie with them or something. Don’t buy their tickets, but you can buy snacks and dinner- that’s how it goes. The boys in our grade are gross and lame and need to wear deodorant but don’t. Except Johnny’s cute and _okay_. He’s sort of Rachel’s boyfriend except neither of them are allowed to date until high school. He would be in seventh grade, but he was held back in kindergarten, and he already shaves, and has a deep voice most of the time, and has actually learned about deodorant.”

Tony looked absolutely alarmed at the idea of Morgan being in class with a boy- and more boys to come- who were well into puberty.

“He’s a good kid, and absolutely crazy about Rachel. Not a threat,” Peter filled in. Tony blinked several times.

“Are you telling me about this kid to make Nat sound safer?” Tony asked his daughter suspiciously.

“Is that happening?” Morgan asked.

“Small, shrimpy, high-pitched voice?” Tony checked.

“Yes,” Morgan agreed. “For now. He’s always probably going to be short. His whole family is. I don’t mind. Even if I end up tall like Mom,” she said.

“Your mother and I are the same height,” Tony pointed out.

“Exactly,” she smiled. Not actually calling her dad short. Except that Clint was right around the same height- Peter was as well, so he wasn’t one to talk about it. Except that if Tony looked taller than the others, it was from very carefully designed shoes. Better for business. “Okay, I’m going to get ready for bed, and come back for my goodnight kisses, but then I can put myself to bed, and I’ll see you in the morning,” Morgan detailed, scrambling to her room.

“I see why Clint taught his daughter archery,” Tony said. “But I’m sure he was terrified with every breath.”

“He did teach the boy’s too, and they’re good, but not abnormally so. Still too young to tell with Nat, but he’s the least interested. He wants to do whatever Morgan wants to do that week.”

“Is he worthy of her?” Tony asked.

“Tony, he’s _nine_. But he’s a good kid, and can keep up with her well enough- not on all the academic stuff, but on the way her mind works.”

“Yes, well, I hope to have _at least_ another ten years with her before I’m walking her down the aisle.”

“You will- probably,” Peter said. Morgan was only ten, after all, so waiting until twenty wasn’t much of an ask. She would probably be much older than that.

“Roland. I did believe you when you said he was a good man. But it was good to see it for myself,” Tony said, looking at the ceiling. “Pepper’s going to be okay, and that’s all I’ve ever really wanted for her- well, not really true, but that’s what I want for her now.”

“She is happy,” Peter promised.

“That’s good,” Tony said. “Are you happy?” Tony asked.

“Yeah, never been happier.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos please? Seriously, that you for the kind response I've gotten. I've never posted anything slash before. I have some other fics on fanfiction . net if you like Harry Potter fics, I think you would enjoy them. I don't know when is the best time to post chapters on this site- maybe the last one tomorrow?


	4. Chapter 4

*****Tony*****

Tony woke _again_ to a raging hard-on poking into the muscled ass of the man who’d saved him. Peter had been awake before him and not pushed him away. Again. It felt far too good to hold him. He very carefully extricated his arm without finding out anything personal about Peter. It wasn’t his business how a twenty-two year old superhuman body responded to… anything. An apology would just feel more awkward, so he didn’t say anything, and Peter just smiled and asked if he slept okay and what he wanted for breakfast.

Peter was a good friend. Too good of a man, really.

They did what they had planned for the day, both of them going to the labs. Peter going to work with Bruce, leaving Tony with Harley. Tony was tinkering mostly on his own new ideas because he’d already looked very thoroughly over what they would do to Morgan’s suit- Peter, or Harley had planned it some time ago and had parts ready for installation.

Peter reappeared with sandwiches for lunch, and then went off again, but he was back by three when they were just waiting for Happy to show up with Morgan.

Morgan ran and jumped right into Peter’s arms when she got there. But quickly after her kiss on his cheek, she reached out one arm and called, “Daddy!” so he hugged her in Peter’s arms, and one of his hands ended up on Peter’s shoulder.

Morgan squirmed when she wanted down. No different than when she was a toddler, but Tony would keep that to himself.

“Hey, Harley,” she greeted, running over to stand very close to the other young man, looking up, big grin, and hands behind her back.

“Hey, kid,” Harley said, placing a hand on her head and ruffling her hair. She hugged him then. Tony remembered calling Peter ‘kid’ and it felt weird. But kids grow up. Especially when you don’t see them for six years.

Turning off FRIDAY’s flight control is just a series of voice commands from Peter. And Morgan was practically bouncing off the walls with eagerness to test it out, before Peter distracted her with some extra additions he held out.

Tony’s primary weapons had always been the same repulsors that let him fly. Double duty. But Tony also added- while Peter explained- a few smart missiles, which would still need FRIDAY’s approval, or the voice override of one of the men in this room or Pepper. Or Happy, Tony added at the last moment. But really, FRIDAY could handle it if it was needed.

Morgan got really excited when Peter showed her her own web shooter. It was a very good non-lethal weapon, and Morgan was obviously familiar with its workings.

Tony knew that he hadn’t been graceful himself when he first learned to fly with his own creation. And knowing that the suit in its undamaged state could stand high speed collisions and terminal velocity falls didn’t make it less terrifying to see his baby up in the air.

But she was so happy.

And when it was too scary- for Tony, not for Morgan- they stuck to the ground for a while with her practicing with the web shooter.

Morgan got to pick the dinner location. Harley begged out of going saying he had a date.

“You can bring him too!” Morgan declared.

“Thanks, kid, but I should probably meet him myself first.”

Morgan frowned before smiling. “It’s good that you’re picky. You’ll find someone worth your time someday,” she decided with a nod. Tony wondered if that advice came from parroting someone else, or if that was genuine ten-year-old advice. From a very impressive ten-year-old, of course.

Harley laughed nervously.

Tony was certain that Harley wasn’t evaluating any of the men he saw based on long term factors. Tony hadn’t been so different. But Tony thought Morgan was probably right anyway. Harley would meet someone who made him want to stick around one day, and he might even meet him on one of those apps.

*****Peter*****

The morning three weeks after his return when Tony finally properly trimmed his beard and didn’t just shave the parts he didn’t want, all of the grey was gone. With Morgan sitting in his lap going through his designs on a tablet with him, anyone would have thought that he had Morgan in his twenties, probably his _early_ twenties, rather than his very late forties, and that was before he even had a haircut that would get rid of the grey on his head too, though there was never much of it.

Peter would smile and definitely not tell the man that he looked good. Because Tony didn’t want to hear about how young he looked, and he definitely wouldn’t want to hear how hot he looked. Not that he wasn’t just as hot with the grey too.

*****Tony*****

The first night that Morgan was spending the night with Pepper was giving Tony more anxiety than he wanted to admit, for reasons he wasn’t ready to examine. Really, it had been weeks at this point- enough weeks that it could be measured in months... 

Tony had been out to… their old house and seen Clint and his family. Lila had come home then too. Nat did seem to be a good kid.

He’d met Morgan’s closest friends from school. Sam and Rachel, and even Rachel’s not-quite-boyfriend Johnny. Sam was blond with big blue eyes that rarely left Peter until Morgan dragged the girl out of sight.

He and Peter spent about six hours at work a day while Morgan was at school, usually in different labs, but sometimes together. Tony saw all the labs, some employees he recognized, and met many that he didn’t. Ned was as friendly as always, but less star-struck than he had been as a teenager. Usually they spent a few extra hours if Morgan was going to Pepper’s after school, but nothing like the countless hours without meals that Tony had spent before. It was all very healthy, he thought. Every other week, they had dinner with May and her new husband. At least that often, Peter watched the twins for Pepper and Roland to have a date night, and Tony became part of that. And often on weekends, sometimes the strange extended family of Pepper's and Tony's would have an outing together, with appearances from various friends, and sometimes May and Harold.

But Pepper hadn’t seen her daughter for more than a couple hours at a time, and they both deserved more time together, so it was only natural for Morgan to spend the night with her mother sometimes. Tony wasn’t worried for Morgan’s safety. She had her suit with her at all times, with F.R.I.D.A.Y. monitoring. And there was one of the nicer series autonomous suits that Pepper knew about in a closet. He didn’t ask if Pepper still had her suit.

And really, the afternoon without Morgan had gone fine. Peter asked if he could leave for dinner at about six, earlier than usual if they had planned to pick up Morgan late.

They had dinner and nice conversation. Peter had asked if there were any movies he wanted to watch without Morgan around. They had done some of that before, after Morgan went to sleep, or when she was with friends or Pepper on an evening or weekend. Tony didn’t know of anything.

They had nice, easy conversation, jumping topics. Many work related, some not. His steak had been good, and at Peter’s suggestion, they flew home.

 _Home_.

Tony didn’t want to sleep alone. He liked the forced smaller quarters of Peter’s apartment. Home. Peter had called it home. Tony could have moved to any number of properties that were now once again in his name. He could have even asked Peter to come with him and Morgan, and he was certain Peter would. But then, of course, they’d all have their own rooms. And Tony liked the company. For too many reasons.

“I’ve finished my thesis,” Peter announced. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to say it at the restaurant. “It still needs revision, but it’s done.”

“Excellent. Which school is going to have the honor of calling you a graduate?” Tony asked. It was a good distraction. And he was really proud of Peter.

“MIT actually reached out to me about it. I- even though I took graduate classes about split between there and Columbia, but I was rarely actually _in_ Cambridge, and I was clear I just wanted to take some classes, and meet with a few professors when I could. But they still gave me an advisor who would check in regularly, even if I didn’t tell him much about what I was working on with Bruce, just that it was proprietary information. And… after we brought you back, they asked if there was anything I could write up, and they would consider my PhD finished. I figure they hope to owe me a lot of thanks. You left them a nice sum in your will, and they probably hope you will again- in another sixty something years or so.”

“I’m sure they’re smart enough to want you for you. Sounds like they did already and that just gave them another excuse to ask about it. You’re unbelievable, Pete.”

“Thanks, Tony,” the younger man smiled. “Want to read the abstract?” he offered, holding out a tablet.

“I want to read the whole thing,” Tony said easily.

“Yeah, well, you can read past the abstract, but it’s over three hundred pages, even though a fair number of them are pretty pictures, and some stuff on magic. You didn’t wake up without a need for sleep, and _I_ certainly intend to be asleep before you’d finish it. Though I- can actually sleep through just about anything if I want to, and would totally understand if you wanted to sleep in Morgan’s room,” Pete said. But the offer, and even _expectation_ , for him in his normal spot was there.

“I won’t keep you up too late, I promise,” Tony said instead. “I’m surprised you aren’t jumping out windows to _patrol the streets_ ,”

“Harley’s been doing some for me. And I know Rhodey and Sam and Cassie and- pretty much everyone has been out there more, when it was never an Avengers thing before. Harley calls it people apologizing for thinking I was certifiably insane. I’ve gone out a few times in the day- while you were working and Morgan was at school. I mean, I know you don’t need me here- and you could be out there too whenever you want. We could- now. I just- really appreciate the quiet life these days.”

“Me too,” Tony said.

Turns in the bathroom, a few comments on how brilliant the abstract looked, and Tony found himself in bed next to Peter. Not touching, but Peter had never objected to Tony occupying the middle of the bed instead of one of the sides. As if Morgan were still on his other side like she had been the first night.

“Thanks, Pete,” Tony said after Peter had his system turn off the lights.

“Of course, Tony.”

*****Tony*****

He never realized how much he hated being horny all the time. Being biologically young was _shit_ , and he’d deny it was happening all he could. It was not worth the no back pain- no _any pains._

In his fifties he’d had a… normal amount of sex with his wife. They had a kid, after all, whom both of them loved more than life, and who also slept in their bed often. And the pillow wall that Morgan never asked him about. Morgan was on Pepper’s other side. It was a big bed. Once a week before pregnancy, and during some of it- turned into… most of a year without it afterwards, but that was normal, totally normal. And once a month or so after that, because it was weird if they didn’t have sex at least once a month. But sometimes they’d skip it if they didn’t feel up to it, and would watch a ‘grown up’ movie instead. Not porn, just something they wouldn’t watch with Morgan. A date night after Morgan went to sleep in her own bed.

And now every fucking day he would wake up hard, practically assaulting Peter’s ass. Which- biology worked like that. It was weird, but almost normal in this crazy life. Maybe… maybe even normal when he had his first sex dream about Peter. Thank _God_ he hadn’t gone off in the bed. Which meant that really, he _needed_ to masturbate to make sure he didn’t have any… nocturnal emissions. That was sound biology, wasn’t it? Maybe? Except it was very much _not_ biology to imagine Peter plowing him while he did it. He’d never even bottomed before, _ever_. Hadn’t had sex with a man at all except some… college group sex when he threw himself an eighteenth birthday party that was very much just an orgy. It was pretty explicit on the invitation so no one would come to something they didn’t want. But that had only been twice- two different men he probably hadn’t even known the names of- and he’d only topped. And that was a very, very long time ago. And yeah, he’d watched some gay porn, but who _hadn’t_ watched a wide variety of porn?

Tony Stark- apparently repressed bisexual man, or something. Maybe only slightly bi-curious until he lived with this perfect, gorgeous man who had saved his life and who would look at him and smile so… perfectly. Whom his daughter loved already as a second father. It was crazy how _not_ crazy it felt sometimes. And Peter definitely looked at him _that way_ sometimes. He was interested. Probably more than just physically. And as weeks… as months passed it seemed… crazy not to. Until he was… thinking about saying something… he had never wondered what all of their friends thought of them. None of them had asked or mentioned why he was still living in Peter's apartment. He’d have assumed there was sex by now if it was someone with his reputation. They were just treated… like a family.

*****Tony*****

All of the people who wanted to come support Peter at his thesis defense at MIT wouldn’t come close to fitting in Tony’s private jet, so he rented out a commercial plane for the morning. Peter had said that no one would mind flying like a normal person, but plenty of the guests wouldn’t exactly mesh with airport security. Peter had also been concerned about such a concentration of their forces in one place, but they could look after themselves, and would be more mobile than usual to go anywhere else if needed. Because of course Peter would abandon his PhD defense if the world needed Spider-Man.

Peter also said many times that no one needed to come, _really_. That it would be boring and he’d record it anyway. But no one who knew him was going to _not_ come.

It was held in the largest MIT lecture hall, which seated 550, because Peter had refused to have it in the theater that could fit over 1200. Their stadium that housed a variety of division three sporting events was smaller than the theater. Tony knew there was a watch party in both the theater and the stadium for MIT students who hadn’t won the drawings to attend in person, and his committee could choose questions submitted by the audience in person or online in the inevitably very long question and answer portion afterwards.

The entire thing was streaming live on youtube, on the same channel that Peter had started to show off his powers to the world in a homemade spandex onesie and incredibly impressive web shooters, and even more impressive webs themselves.

It would be so far past the most viewed PhD defense ever given, it wasn’t even worth comparison. The most viewed academic speech of any kind, Tony was certain.

Tony was preoccupied before it began with watching his daughter fawn over Stephen Strange, and the man speak cordially enough to her. Stephen and Bruce were on the paper as well, even if this day was just for Peter. There was a reluctant Dr. Strange being led across the room by the hand by Morgan, chatting with her. The girl could convince the people in her life, especially the men in her life, of most anything. It was a worrying talent for a father to see in his little girl. Her teenage years would be hell. It was probably for the better that he had more energy than he should have at his age. Though the girl also had many, many other people looking out for her. Peter would always be able to keep up.

And it was Peter’s day.

“I’m so proud of you,” was all Tony could manage to say in words of encouragement before Peter took the stage. Peter’s smile said that it was enough. In theory Peter was talking to the four members of his dissertation committee, but he would know he was talking to millions really. A lot of the time, Tony felt like Peter was talking just to him.

Peter said he didn’t like press conferences, but he didn’t seem to mind speaking about this. He got lost in the science, like they were in the lab.

There were lots of questions afterwards, and they tried to be more professional than personal. He was wonderful.

*****Peter*****

“Pete- can we talk?” Tony asked.

“Any reason you chose to start with the three scariest words in the English language?” Peter joked back. His heart was racing. His thoughts jumped to a number of things. Tony wanting to take Morgan and move to his own new place seemed the most likely. Surprising that it hadn’t happened months ago.

“Sorry I just- wanted to awkwardly preface this… conversation by saying that I was _not_ inappropriately attracted to you as a high schooler,” Tony said.

“Okay...” Peter said, letting confusion show. Was this telling him that he had noticed Peter’s looks and wanted it to stop? Or... Tony wouldn’t start a conversation like that if he didn’t want it going somewhere now. It wasn’t eleven years ago.

“I may have had- passing thoughts that you were an attractive kid who all the kids must think was ‘hot’ but that’s not the same thing at all.”

“Ah, but the nerd factor can cancel out any amount of raw animal magnetism,” Peter smiled. This was going in much better directions and he needed to shut up now. “Geek chic was supposed to be a thing, cool- but not so much in high school. Even kids _on_ Academic Decathlon didn’t want to date kids on _Academic Decathlon_.” And _why_ was he still talking?

“You wanted to date that girl Liz- and also that girl MJ. I should add that you seemed very straight. In fact, your type seemed to be intelligent, attractive, black teenage girls. Not old white men who can’t even pretend to call themselves middle-aged anymore.”

 _Very_ good direction. What the hell was he waiting for? Spider-Man was no coward.

“First of all, my tastes as a teenager really shouldn’t be pertinent. But they haven’t really changed that much, I just got better at discerning them. And there were reasons it never worked out with those girls. I am attracted to people to can understand me- why I’m Spider-Man. That’s number one, and you get it, all of it. Intelligent is number two, and you have that in ridiculous excess. You were caught up on six years of developments in your company in two hours- which was made easier because most of it was straight out of your notes. We got very good at reading your scribbles and were grateful for how much you typed or voice recorded. I loved hearing your voice, even though I’d often be working through tears. And yeah, if we want to think back to my teenage years… I was somewhat attracted to men and women. More to men, but it just seemed… easier and more likely to be successful to go after girls. But I thought you were hot before I really even knew what that meant- not a line I was intending to use to make me seem like the mature adult that I am, but I still have that inability to shut up. It’s really not important what I thought at that age. But when I was trying to impress you as a mentee, I _really_ wasn’t about to tell you about my opinions on the numerous variations of facial hair,” Peter explained.

“And those opinions were? Or- more relevant, those opinions _are_?”

“Every look that has ever been on your face is gorgeous- maybe not the best word. Devilishly handsome.”

“Yeah, I would have been appalled- I hope- to be the focus of your teenage fantasies. Actually, I’m a narcissistic bastard. I would have been flattered.”

“You weren’t the _only_ focus- like every Avenger is super hot. You were just… the only I stayed attracted to after getting to know you. And it changed, over time. I got older, more comfortable with the fact that I was most attracted to men.”

“Who?” Tony asked. Was that insecurity in his voice?

“Er- I mean, all of them at first- like literally every Avenger. I didn’t know them of course, just a bit of their stories. But- I suppose particularly Captain America with the whole noble hero, little guy becomes the superhero thing. And Bruce- I was really interested in Dr. Banner's science- mostly those two and you, but everyone was hot.”

“Yes, well, I was better off not knowing. I might have wanted to protect you from the world more- and also show you what an ass I was so you’d get over me more quickly,” Tony said.

“I wasn’t like- trying to get you to notice. I didn’t really even fantasize much. And you said _I_ had a type but like- you seemed _super_ straight. Like, there are at least a dozen sex tapes of you on the internet- and yes, I’ve watched all that I found- some before meeting you, and most after- and none of them feature men, nor do any reliable-seeming gossip articles I found,” Peter said. Because he’d certainly looked for it.

“There would have been substantiated rumors, when I was in college, if my father didn’t stop them while he was still alive. Only from… one evening actually. Women always flocked to me, and I enjoyed their company greatly. Men were attractive, but I didn’t… feel a strong pull to pursue it. Vague curiosity. I would… kiss a man on the cheek at an event just for a thrill, see if anyone suspected anything, and they never did. Occasionally a peck on the lips. I was _affectionate_ , _eccentric_ … _accepting,_ they said. I don’t even think _I_ really realized there was that much more to it than that. Maybe there wasn’t anything worth noticing before I lived with this gorgeous man who my life fits with impossibly well.”

“You know, I was afraid you were going to take Morgan and move out without me,” Peter said.

“I- _really_ don’t want that,” Tony said.

“Yeah, I got that idea pretty quickly. You’d have been more direct if you were letting me down easy.”

“This has just seemed so- _easy_ , you know? We don’t fight all the time, and yet- I still don’t want to drink- that sounds weird, I know- and I take better care of myself than I ever have. You encourage me to but I _want_ to. I- may always have some kinds of feelings for Pepper, but I don’t love her like a man should love his- spouse. Maybe I never did. We can’t say five sentences to each other without an argument. We’ve never been able to. And it’s exhausting. And made me want to get high or drink or- go get in a fight with no backup… So I moved us to the middle of nowhere with no drugs, limited alcohol, no danger, but I still wanted those things. And I was _always_ the one that was wrong, and that was hard on me- and I really was wrong. Even when we lived in the same house we were rarely in the same room just to… avoid fighting. I didn’t even realize that was a problem. I thought that was just the way we worked. That fighting was like- foreplay for us, but it just made me hate myself. We- it’s crazy that we were ever married- crazy that she said yes. Did Pepper ever tell you the story of our engagement?” Tony asked.

Peter shook his head.

“Because it’s not a great, mature moment of our lives. That _test_ , where I said you were going to be an Avenger and let’s go have your press conference?” Tony said.

Peter nodded slowly.

“Wasn’t a test. Had dozens of reporters in the next room. And then you were this fifteen year old kid making this incredibly mature decision because you already knew who you were and what was best for you. And so I send you off, yeah, yeah, a test you passed. And I had all these reporters in the other room and nothing to say to them, and it just… feels like a- sign? Like I’m the adult and should be ready. So I proposed to Pepper. I’d had a ring for months- which I made Happy hold onto so I didn’t do anything stupid and impulsive, which should have showed how not ready I was that I would think of asking Pepper to marry me as impulsive. But Happy was there, and Pepper was there, and we went for it, and she said yes.”

 _Wow_. “An impulsive decision doesn’t necessarily mean a bad one,” Peter pointed out.

“It was a bad idea. It just turned out well anyway. I got off Titan with the intention of fixing it all. Then resigned myself to dying in space and tried to keep it together for Nebula until we both died. I wouldn’t have survived not being able to fix it without Pepper. And most of the time we were even happy. Even with the fights. With the… damned pillow wall. I thought good things were supposed to be difficult but… and I’m not saying I’d run away from any difficulties that are inevitable to arise but… I’m just so… happy. Right now.”

Tony looked so lost that Peter just wanted to hug him and kiss him and never let go.

Peter went for the hug.

“When Pepper found out about my plans to bring you back, she asked how long I’d loved you. We cried together. I admitted to her I’d always idolized you, had a… crush on you, found you incredibly attractive. Then came respect. And a pretty good amount of understanding. But real, romantic love- what I was pretty sure was love anyway- didn’t come until after you were already dead. Except I never really believed you were unreachably gone. Usually didn’t believe it, anyway. She felt so much… pity for me. She wasn’t angry until Morgan found out- and then she was, but we dealt with it. I think she almost believed when we healed Bruce’s arm. I don’t know how anyone couldn’t hope at that point. But she was already married and had the babies, and was really happy. We cried a lot again.”

“You’re very good with kids. Don’t you want to- have some of your own?” Tony asked, eyes sad. As if that was an idea that couldn’t include him.

“I couldn’t possibly love any child more than Morgan. And I love the twins too. They’re great kids. I don’t need more than that. Though if we did want one day… Stark Industries has a large list of surrogates.”

Tony nodded.

“I _am_ relatively young,” Peter acknowledged. “I’m also not experienced. Never had a serious relationship, and I’ve never been interested in casual sex- ever,” Peter said, to make it clear. It was nothing to be embarrassed by, but he knew his cheeks were pink. Being a virgin didn’t make him any more of a child than… having a lot of sex would have.

Tony didn’t seem surprised, just concerned, “And you’re sure _I’m_ the person you want to give yourself to?” Tony asked. “I’m really not sure I can give you anything... better than I could with friendship. Not as much as some could. I mean- you’re twenty-two and have ridiculously sexy superpowers, and I’m an old man with a very mixed past.”

“I’m not worried about your past. I love your past. And you’re _not_ an old man. And I wouldn’t care if you were. But… if we’re talking about physical concerns, you should know, I’m like- _stupidly sensitive_ \- post spider bite, I come ridiculously easy.”

“You’re twenty-two. We’d cuddle for half an hour and you’d come again. Sixty-year-old dick doesn’t work like that.”

“Tony, you _really_ need to get over that hang up. I don’t care. And you know it’s not that valid anyway. Yes, you were born fifty-nine years ago. You have been alive fifty-three years. I don’t care. I didn’t fall in love with some twenty-two year old theoretical you. I fell in love with fifty-three year old you. Dead fifty-three year old you, but I knew I was bringing you back. And if you want to talk biological ability or expected longevity, we don’t _know_ how to consider you there. I know you’ve looked in a mirror lately. Bruce has decided he’s thirty-five. It might help you to think of yourself as around that age too. We can do some more testing if you want.”

“What kind of testing?” Tony asked. And there was obvious sexual innuendo there.

“I’m up for anything. Absolutely anything. And I _love_ any amount of cuddling, but it doesn’t take me nearly thirty minutes to get hard again,” Peter admitted, smiling.

“Damn, I want a super spider to bite me,” Tony complained.

“I- we could try to figure it out. We did it with Hulk. Not that you need it in any way,” Peter shrugged. “There’s also lots of room to explore or invent other- sexually stimulating options. Though like- I know what you were doing at thirty-five- seen the sex tapes- and it was a _lot_. And like- I don’t need a lot of sex just because I’m physically capable of it. I like cuddling, and handholding, and kisses, and very tight hugs,” Peter said quickly.

“I like my suit- which wouldn’t mesh with your powers. If you want to figure out the cause of your powers, that’s great, but don’t do it for me. Though I wouldn’t be- opposed to a bite from my favorite friendly neighborhood _Spider-Man_ … but should probably start with a kiss first.”

“That, I can do,” Peter smiled.

It was a very, very nice kiss.

Morgan was going to be really smug about this. It made it even better, really.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave kudos, and comments if you want. Thank you so much for the support!


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